


My Little Blondie

by IZ_PEN



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AkuRoku - Freeform, Boy x boy, High School, Love Triangles, M/M, Soriku - Freeform, Zemyx - Freeform, terraxven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-06-03
Packaged: 2018-01-13 21:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 33,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1241857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IZ_PEN/pseuds/IZ_PEN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxas has always been different. He liked girly things. He has always kept it a secret except from his friend Demyx. When Roxas gets a visit from the most popular guy in school Axel he beings to panic, but then he also learns he's not the only one with secrets. (AkuRoku Fanfiction)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

PROLOUGE   
The little blond stared endlessly at the shelf of toys that where full of color and joy that any little kid would want to have their small sticky hands on. The boy was only six, but his tastes were still a bit different than most little boys. While most boys his age wanted the toy cars and fire trucks that had that bright red that caught their eyes, this little boy wanted something pink and soft and cute. At the time it seemed fine, but that was when he brought a certain toy to school that made him miserable, for all the other boys made fun of him for. He would never forget that day at school. Boys apparently couldn't play with such toys, only girls could. But this boy couldn't help it, he like his toys and clothes that he wore, but alas it just couldn't work.  
The boy would sit in his room and cry after someone made fun of his liking of purple and pink things or his liking of cute and fuzzy things. Each time he did his feelings kept getting harder and harder to suppress.  
"No one likes me because of my toys and clothes? But why? My mom thinks it's cute…" The boy sniffed and whipped his tears away with his sleeve. The sleeve to his purple button dress that had a bow in the back. "If I can't make friends this way… I'll need to change myself… that way no one with think I'm girly."


	2. Something with some color would be nice

Something with some color would be nice  
Roxas looked outside the school bus. The day was gray with a cloudy sky and drops falling endlessly. He couldn't help but think that the sky was meant for him to see, as if it mocked him to no end. Compared to the sky he looked so charming on the outside with his blonde hair and bright blue eyes like on a cloudless day, but on the inside it might as well be the sky that was mocking him. Nothing could be as worse as he felt. Living a life that was such a lie, it got so depressing all the time and it made him so tired, but after ten years it became the same thing of biting your nails over and over till the tips of your fingers were raw.  
"Alright everyone OUT!" The bus driver yelled. All the students got off their butts and screeched and pushed through the atomic doors like mice going in a hole. Roxas just waited to be the last one and slumped out the door in an ugly looking fashion.  
The school Roxas went to was Hollow Bastion High School or HBHS for short. It was one of the top twenty-five schools in Twilight Town and had the best academic scores. It was a good school if you cared about your grades, but it was also the perfect school if you wanted to have a gossip group. Everyone knew about everyone and everything that happened in school and out. You could hear all the latest stuff just by stepping on the grass of the place.  
Roxas slowly walked on the pavement to the school building. It wasn't like he was in a hurry, like he cared who got best dress or who did what with whom. The teen would rather gag to death than hear any of it. He liked to take his time and wait five minutes at the door till the first bell rang. "Crap…" Roxas looked down at his shoes. They were normal sneakers that you could find anywhere, but on the edge they had a slight hint of pink… Roxas quickly took out a sharpie and started coloring on top on the girl shoes as quick as he could before anyone noticed. Thankfully no did for they were too much into discussing about how the hottest guy in school scored ten times during the last game of the season.  
Roxas listened carefully to the news. "So, I heard he won the game for the basket ball team again. What a dreamer he is." Said one girl with red hair.  
"I know right? He's so totally gorgeous. Though there's no way he'd go out with any of us right?" Another girl with brown hair said.  
"Yeah, probably right. I heard that he and that Larxene girl are pretty close. She's the most popular girl in school there's no way any girl could beat her right?"  
"It's so disappointing. He's so tall with that red flaming hair that makes him so attractive. He's real sweat too." The girl sighed and shook her head. Roxas kept listening anxiously. "Why can't Axel just pick someone already? All the girls love him; he has to be attracted to at least one!" Both of the girls giggled and skipped their way to the front doors.  
Roxas smiled. Axel? So that was his name. Heh, at least one thing was good out of all the gossip.  
"I can't believe you actually did that! Roxas what am I going to do with you? For years you've been hiding the secret are you going to let people know about it now? People won’t be so nice about it you know…" A boy who was a few inches taller than Roxas said, though that was probably because of his super tall mohawk.  
"Demyx keep it down! If you're so worried about it, don't discuss it where there are so many people around." Roxas said holding his hand inches from Demyx's mouth to keep him quiet. "It's not like I wanted to come to school with them on they were just there! God, I don't even remember putting them on." Roxas opened his locker door and started looking through his books.  
"Dude, seriously I think you've got some serious issues if you can't ever remember that much. I mean who could forget about THOSE kinds of shoes? Really Roxas?"  
"I don't know Demyx, but maybe my "Condition" is a lot worse than I thought. Maybe I should get into more guy stuff. What do you think?"  
"By guy stuff you mean?"  
"I da'no maybe soccer or basket ball, a sport or something?"  
"Ahh. Now we're not talking about girl stuff anymore are we Roxas?" Demyx smirked at his blond friend and grinned.  
"Were not?"  
"Nope, this is about that one guy isn't it?"  
"I guess…"  
"Ahh! Young love! So much romance and so little time. So many dreams that one might have yet they don't know how to make them come true till they know it's true meaning to have felt so much for one other person!"  
"Demyx this isn't a place to have your poem fantasies…"  
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ROXAS! Get yourself together and pull your head out of the clouds for a sec and think of what's in front of you for a moment!" Demyx shook Roxas by the shoulders and then put his hands on his hips that slanted to the side. "People will start to get curious when you suddenly want to join the team. I mean wont they ask lots of questions or something? It's out of nowhere. If you really want to get close to this guy you need to find out his love interest. Does he like girls or guys or both? You need to know these things before you can more on to the next step. Also if people found out about your love interest, won't that just cause more chaos to your problem?  
"Ok. Your right Dem. I won't join. You happy?" Roxas shut the door to his locker and then messed up a bit of his hair his free hand. "So what should I do Dem?"  
Demyx was quiet for a moment then sighed. "I think your fine just the way you are now, and if people weren't so obsessed with other people's lives I'd tell you to go all out and girly!"  
"SHHHHUUUSSHHH!"  
"Sorry!"  
School was so damn boring. Why couldn't it be more pink and purple or something like that? Yeah. Maybe if it had more color people would WANT to go to school. At least that's what Roxas thought.  
"Ok class, I would like you to turn to page 24 in your textbooks. We're going to start on a new chapter today so take lots and lots of notes for as you know I won't be the one taking them for you." The teacher started to write on the board about some kind of science or history or whatever the crap it was and began to read aloud to the class.  
So Roxas what are you doing today? Roxas thought to himself. I don't have a clue, something boring perhaps. Thirty minutes passed and nothing seemed to change… Maybe if there was some color…  
"Class before I dismiss you for today I would like to point out that you will be having a project staring at the beginning of next week. I'll be assigning you partners that I think will be appropriate. If anyone has any complaints they can put it up with me but I can ashore you that I won't be having any switching unless absolutely necessary. Also if anyone would like to start the project early I set some packets out on the table next to the door so you can pick one up as you leave the class room." The teacher never stopped talking did he?  
Roxas checked to see if there was any dirt or dead skin under his nails. The thought of it was disgusting to him. No way would he be satisfied for such a thing. Roxas began to examine his nails as the teacher began to call out the groups.  
"Marluxia you will be paired with Hayner, Demyx you'll be with Larxene, Zexion with- (and Roxas completely zoned out… seriously there should be more color in the school!) and last Roxas you will be paired with Axel."  
Axel? Who was Axel? Oh you mean THAT Axel… THAT AXEL? Roxas almost jumped out of his seat from his sudden realization. He didn't even know that Axel was even in that class. Roxas gulped. What now? What now?  
Ring! The bell went off and students went out the door and flooded the hallways, and of course Roxas waited till everyone was gone to leave the class room. On his way out he decided to get a head start on the project and went to grab a packet off the table, only to have his own hand grabbed instead. He blinked once and stared at the hand. He looked up and saw a wave of bright red. Hey, that was a nice color.  
Roxas must have been in shock when he saw the green eyes that stared back also in a bit of surprise. "Ahh! I'm sorry." Axel said, still not letting go of the blondes hand for a few more seconds after he said it. He flushed a bit around the cheeks and stared at the floor a bit. "You're umm..."  
"Roxas…" Everything went still for a few seconds it seemed. Was it getting warm or something?  
"Yeah… so your starting the project early then too… hey since were partners how bout we get together on the weekend and start? I would have you at my house but my parents and work so its kind 'a iffy. So is your place ok?"  
"Uh. Sure. Umm." Roxas took out a piece of paper and started jolting something down. "Here's my number and address. You can call and we can figure out a time?"  
"Yeah, that sounds great."  
"Cool, I'll talk to you later than."  
"Yeah…See you later…bye"  
"Bye…"  
Roxas walked away from the class room with the packet and thought of what just happened. It was fast… was I blushing? Oh god I was blushing wasn't I? Hmm, ah! That's it. Red. The school needs more red, with a hint of green.


	3. Quiet Lies

Quiet lies 

"What?"  
"Your heard me… I'm gay." Axel quirked an eyebrow with a playful grin.  
Roxas stared at Axel for a long five minutes. "Wh…what!" Did he hear him correctly? Axel really was gay? What the crap just happened?  
"Was I wrong to say that?" Axel now had a look of disappointment and Roxas couldn't help wonder what had suddenly made the red head say that to him. Though Roxas had somewhat of an idea…  
"No… I just don't get why you said that to me… is all." Roxas twitched when he felt Axel's arms still around him after his fall. Now this was awkward.  
"Well. You seemed to be stressing out when I stepped into your," Axel looked around the pink room with ponies on all the shelves. "Room." There was a moment of silence. Axel tried to put the words together. "Well umm. Demyx kind' a told me how you were…"  
"Demyx told you what..." Demyx knew Axel?  
"He told me how you were still stressing out about how you wanted to be a girl so I thought that might cheer you up… I guess." Then Axel took on a sly tone. "Unless this isn't really about cheering up. You aren't falling for me are you?" Axel laughed at Roxas who was showing a panicked look. "I'm only joking."  
For a few seconds Roxas felt like he's been betrayed by his friend with the mohawk, but it only lasted for a few small seconds, he couldn't stay mad at his forever, plus so far nothing bad happened either. Sometimes Roxas wondered if Demyx had the ability to read minds. "How do you even know Demyx?"  
"Didn't he tell you? Were cousins."  
"WHAT?"  
"Yes, cousins. C.O.U.S.I.N.S. Cousins. Got it memorized?"  
Demyx never said anything. Why? Why didn't he tell Roxas something so important?  
"Sorry. He never told me…" Roxas felt like Demyx didn't really want him to know. How could his best friend ever forget to mention something so important? "So. The project?"  
Roxas and Axel had worked on the project for several hours. When the blond checked the time it was already five o'clock. "Wow, time moved quickly huh?"  
Axel didn't respond which was strange. He never seemed to stop talking with him as they worked on the project. "Yeah, hey Roxas you wouldn't mind if I stayed the night would you?"  
"Is something up?" Roxas asked concerned.  
"Not really it's just… my parents like to go out a lot and I don't have my key… I never expected to be here for so long. Heh, heh."  
"Well sure I guess if your parents don't mind." Roxas sat on his bed and looked at Axel trying to see if he could find some kind of hint on what was on the red head's mind. "How about I call Demyx over too?"  
"Actually that might be a good idea." Axel smiled a bit, but it wasn't a very happy one. Roxas took one last glance towards Axel before he stumbled down the stairs for the phone. Even though there was one just across the hall in his parent's room he wanted to talk to Demyx alone.  
Grabbing the phone and dialing the numbers Roxas called his mohawk friend.  
"Roxas?"  
"Hey Demyx." Roxas said glumly.  
"Oh hey! What's up? Is your little 'date' going well at all? Ha ha."  
"Demyx there's something I need to ask you?"  
"Ok shoot."  
"Why didn't you tell me that your Axel's cousin?"  
Silence.  
"Dem?"  
"Umm. It's not exactly something I want to talk about."  
"Is something wrong?"  
More silence.  
"Demyx you have to talk to me now. I don't know why you didn't tell me, but there's more going on."  
"What?"  
"Axel doesn't look to good, doesn't seem to want to go home and asked to spend the night. I don't think in normal situations a person would spend the night at someone's house they barely knew… Demyx, what's going on?"  
"I should probably come over there Roxas."  
"I was actually just about to ask that. When's the fastest you can get here?"  
"I can leave now. Nothing much else to do."  
"Sure. See you Demyx."  
Demyx whispered something under his breath but Roxas could barely make out what it was. "See you Roxas."  
After hanging up the phone, Roxas hurried up the stairs once again to check up on Axel. When he walked in the room, everything seemed fine but Axel was sitting on the edge of Roxas's bed looking alone and pale. "You ok?"  
"Huh?" Axel jumped from the sudden voice. He didn't ever hear Roxas come in. Must have too much on his mind. "Yeah. I'm fine." Axel noticed Roxas looking at him in worry. Was it that obvious that he was totally not ok? "For the most part anyway."  
Roxas nodded his head not wanting to make Axel nervous by asking lots of questions. "Demyx is coming soon."  
"Really?" Axel seemed happy about that.  
"Yeah. He was awfully excited."  
"That's so like him." Axel chuckled and soon Roxas joined in.  
To get rid of the tension Roxas tried to think of some things to get whatever it was out of Axel's mind. "Want to watch a movie?" Roxas asked suddenly. It was the only thing he could think of at the moment.  
"Yeah. What movies you have?" Axel liked the sound of movies. If he wasn't out with his friends or playing video games it was watching a movie, mostly with lots of action!  
"Uh you pick. I have a stack in the box over there." Roxas pointed to a basket next to the small hello kitty TV he had to the right side of his room close to the door.  
Axel couldn't help but grin. Hello Kitty, how cute. So the red head picked up the basket sat down and went through the various movies in front of him and called them out for Roxas to hear. "Titanic, Romeo & Juliet, Sweet Home Alabama, Twilight? Roxas are all your movies chick flicks?"  
Roxas blushed. He forgot that Axel wasn't into that kind of stuff. Not many guys were. "Uuhh…"  
Axel laughed. "Heh, cute."  
"C-cute? It's not cute! I'm just—"  
"Easy. Nothing wrong with cute is there? I mean look at your room. It's been cuteyfied." Axel chuckled when the blond scrunched his nose to try and keep himself from blushing.  
"Ok can you just pick a movie already?" Roxas said with a tad of annoyance.  
"Fine. Fine. Let's watch the Titanic." Axel took the DVD and gave it to Roxas who slipped it into his hello kitty DVD player. Axel had to hold back a giggle when the inserter opened and made a small "meow".  
Demyx looked straight at the road not making a single sound besides his breathing. It was getting dark, the time Demyx felt more anxious when driving. His anxiety rose as he saw a few cars in the other lane pass by him. "This isn't time to get nervous Dem." The dirty blond whispered to himself. "You have to go take care of Axel, or else…" Demyx trailed off when he saw Roxas's house. The lights in the kitchen and upstairs bedroom were still on. "Maybe he's fine, maybe he'll be ok." Demyx took a deep breath then parked his car on the side of the road and turned off the engine. Demyx stepped out the car door and made his way to the front of the house. He made a soft knock; he was quickly greeted by a woman with brown hair and a long pink dress. "Hey Aerith."  
"Oh, Demyx!" The woman smiled. "I didn't know you were coming over." She smiled sweetly and innocently that Demyx couldn't help but smile back in return. She might be Roxas's mother, but Demyx felt as though Aerith was his own mother as well, for he had lost his when he was just two years old in a car accident. Roxas didn't mind the fact that he called his mom by her first name; he understood what it was like to only have one parent around, cloud Roxas's father was always out on business and didn't come by the house except on weekends.  
"Yeah, Roxas called me up about half an hour ago." Demyx smiled and scratched the back of his head even though it wasn't itching.  
"Are you all right? You don't seem well." Aerith asked concerned. The woman could sense even the slightest hint of anxiety in Demyx's eyes.  
"Oh, I'm fine." Demyx lied. He couldn't let her know what was troubling him. If she knew, it would only get her caught in a situation that might never be fixed.  
"Well alright." She said uncertainly.  
"Well I best not keeping Axel and Roxas waiting." Demyx gave a quick wave and hurried up the stairs to Roxas's room. When he got to the door he heard what sounded like a TV playing. He stepped in to find the Titanic playing and, Axel and Roxas snuggled close fast asleep.


	4. Family Sucks

Family sucks  
Roxas rolled on his stomach, his back feeling stiff. He felt a chill hit his arm. It was a lot warmer the last he remembered. He used his free right hand to feel around, too lazy to even open his eyes and look around. He felt something hot hitting his neck and something soft, tickling his face. His hand grabbed onto something. Loose fabric, usually the same fabrics that you would see most shirts made of. He felt lower passing the fabric. The surface was smooth and warm under his finger tips. It felt as though it were breathing. The thing he was touching was alive. He felt around more, feeling around the flesh he brushed. The skin of whatever it was felt nice. Roxas wanted more.  
Slowly, Roxas lift up his head as to see the beautiful creature he was with. But his eyes didn't want to open, fearing that if he did, he wouldn't feel that sort of closeness again. Roxas gave out a small sigh, knowing he really didn't have a choice in the matter. Even if he did keep his eyes closed, it would still come to an end, being interrupted by life. The blond, ever so slightly, lifted one lid then the other. At first it was a blur, but then it gradually came into place. There was a body underneath him. The body had red crimson hair, emerald eyes and tear drop tattoos, one underneath each eye. The breath Roxas was feeling was coming from the body's mouth and the reason he felt a chill hit his arm was because his body was covered with a blanket yet his arm somehow got snagged out of the soft fabric.  
Roxas blushed when he realized that the body was actually looking at his, and really looking at him. Not one of those cold and lonely glances. "Ahh." He didn't know what to say… he was freakin on top of this guy!  
Axel smirked and his eyes narrowed from sleep. "Morning. Is it just me or has the sun decided to start setting on top of me?"  
Roxas turned also as crimson as Axel's hair. Was this guy for real? It was like he had complete control over the blonde's emotions and the scary part was Roxas didn't know if he should like it or not!  
The room was quiet. Too quiet. Were they seriously the only ones in the house? Oh God…   
"Morning everyone." Axel turned his head towards the bed almost as surprised as Roxas. "I see you two had a nice night snuggling together." The voice giggled.  
"Demyx!" Axel shot right up from embarrassment, knocking Roxas over a bit yet somehow ended up in his lap.  
"Hey Ax!" Demyx giggled again, laying on his stomach Roxas's bed. His elbow was digging into the soft pink sheets, his hand bent a bit. He made a small fast gesture with his fingers as a way to say hello. His face had a sly smug look written all over it. "I just couldn't help but notice how comfortable you guys looked."  
Axel's face flushed a bit.  
"Demyx?" Roxas asked still half asleep.  
"Hey Roxy." Demyx sat up and walked over to Roxas and gave him a hug. "ROXXXXYYYYYYYYYYYY!"  
"WWWHHHHAAAAA!" Roxas this time woke up from his half slumber. Demyx always knew how to wake him up in the morning, even if it meant screaming to the top of his lungs in his ear.  
Demyx laughed at his accomplishment.  
"I kind' a liked it better when he was half asleep…" Axel mumbled.  
"Hmm?" Demyx cocked his head to the side.  
"Nothing nothing…" Axel quickly said, thankful no one had actually heard him say what he said.  
"So." Demyx grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "Got any food?"  
"Well aren't you just a ball of chipmunk energy…" Roxas murmured a bit disappointed.  
The three of them went down the stairs to get something to eat. It wasn't long till each one of them had three pieces of toast and some orange juice. Demyx and Axel sat on opposite sides of the table why Roxas sat in-between them at the end. Roxas noticed his mom wasn't in sight and went to the fridge to find a note. Moring Roxas honey. Your father called and said he was getting back from New York last night. I'm just now going to the airport to pick him right up so don't have any wild parties while I'm gone! Just kidding. And if you need anything don't be afraid to ask Yuna for help. She said she'll be home all day since I won't be home for several hours. Love you! –Mom   
Roxas sighed. So his father was coming home huh? Probably just to pick something up and leave all over again. Like as if he cared what Roxas felt… "Well it seems like my mom's going to out for awhile." Roxas said trying to seem cheerful. "We got the whole house to ourselves now!" It was a joke of course, but Demyx could easily see right through his best friend's eyes.  
"Sure Roxas…" Demyx didn't bring anything up. Even if he did say something comforting, Roxas would just deny it and then go back to how everything was or seemed.  
"So… what do you guys want to do?" Roxas asked.  
Demyx and Axel thought about it and then locked their eyes to the blonde's. They both narrowed their eyes and smirked with their lips curled slyly. "What do YOU want to do Roxas? What sort of things do YOU like to do?" They both said in unison.  
Roxas gulped. Were they serious? They wanted to do something HE liked. Well, he did have something in mind but it wasn't really something that the two of them would find fun at all. At least that's what Roxas thought. "Well it's not really that big of a deal… you two are the guests here so —"  
"Now now Roxas," Axel said coolly. "We want you to choose what were going to do. And also don't choose anything that we're interested in." And with that last little comment, Roxas sighed. How could he say no to those two faces that had their eyes jumping out of their sockets?  
"Fine. What I want to do is…"  
SLAM!  
"Damn and we were so close!" Axel whined.  
"Well that's Roxas for you. He's not going to just be openly girly you know." Demyx replied.  
"Yeah but that doesn't mean he had to kick us out of the house did it?" Axel rubbed his hand through his hair. "I thought that if we showed a bit of interest then he would, you know, he would…" Axel kicked the sidewalk as he and Demyx started to move off the Strife property.  
"It's a lot more complicated than that Axel. Roxas is the type of person who's shy enough to not even show what he's like in front of friends and family. He also has some family issues besides the whole, closed up part of him. Aerith, umm Mrs. Strife, has been trying really had to get Roxas to open up, going as far as therapy, but not even that seems to work…. Speaking of therapy… Axel?"  
"Yeah?" Axel dug his nails in the side of his arm waiting for Demyx to reply. He didn't want Demyx to bring it up, not now.  
"Did you ever hear from your dad at all?" Demyx asked quietly, so that only Axel and he could hear the question.  
"No… He didn't show up. Demyx he's never coming back. Everyone says he is… but he's not. If only I just kept it to myself that –"  
"No Axel!" Demyx raised his voice without meaning to giving Axel a startle. "Ah…Sorry… But no Axel. It's not your fault, you can't help it. It's just that uncle Ansem can't see it as it is or accept it. He's always been stubborn like that and you know it…"  
Axel didn't say anything. What was he kidding? Of course Demyx was right! But it just hurt so much inside that he couldn't take it. He wanted to blame it on someone. And that someone was him.  
It only took a few seconds for both of them to part their ways and head home… or at least one of them did. Axel headed towards the park that no one even bothered to go to. Empty and open. A park that he only used. Or so he thought…  
"Oh my god… Axel!" It was said with a high pitched squeal that could only mean one person…  
"Larxene! What are you doing here?" Axel moved his eyes to the side a bit to find a way to escape even though it wasn't very fitting for him. Scratching his head was his only defense, if you even count that as one.  
"Well aren't you going to say something? I told you we rule the school and we need to get everything prepared! The homecoming is staring in only one month, and who needs to be the center of attention? Me, that's who! So get your butt off that swing, we've got work to do, for your looking at the next homecoming queen! Not that I really care. I'm just too perfect Axel and everyone knows it."  
"Suurrreee." Axel cringed at the thought of Larxene towering over everyone at school. Sure everyone knew about her, and they knew she was "perfect", but it didn't mean anyone really liked her, so truth be told she wasn't so perfect, but who would even think to tell her that? A crazy person.  
"Well hurry up Axel, the homecoming crew needs to hear all my- our advice." And so Larxene and Axel went off to do the most boring-cough-the most exciting thing anyone could ask for.


	5. I want that Sparkly Lip Gloss

I want that sparkly lip gloss!   
Roxas sighed. It was now a Sunday afternoon and everything was supposed to be perfect because Aerith promised to take him to the mall to try on some clothes. It was then turned into his worst nightmare because some specific someone's were coming along for the ride.  
"I don't get this at all." Roxas stomped down the stairs. "Why do they have to come?" Roxas pointed to the couch which had two boys about his age sitting and smirking under their breath, possibly taunting the blond.  
"Now dear," Aerith started. "I promised your aunt that I would look after your cousins this weekend if you don't remember. When I asked you the other day you were perfectly fine with it."  
"Mom, that time you asked me I was half asleep!" Roxas retorted.  
"Roxas! Don't use that tone with me. I'm your mother and you should know better than to scream at the top of your lungs at my face." Aerith gave off an expression that she meant business. Roxas sighed and bowed his head in defeat. His mother just had that innocent look in her eyes that even put him to shame. "Roxas, I know you're not very fond of your cousin and his friend but please understand that this isn't the end of the world."  
The blonde's head moved up an inch before whispering an 'ok'.  
"That's my boy!" Aerith smiled and went off to grab her purse and coat.  
"So Roxas…" Said one of the boys on the couch. "How's your life going? Anything interesting, such as pretty princess stuff?" The boy had black hair and perusing eyes.  
"Shut up Vanitas." Roxas rolled his eyes. He wished his other two cousins were there to back him up. Sora and Ventus were Roxas's favorite cousins that were around his age, but both of them were pretty busy at the moment. Sora had just gotten together with his best friend Riku who left right after their first date and got run over by a bike. So Sora was spending most of his time in the hospital looking after his boyfriend. Ventus on the other hand was a bit older than the other two by several years and was trying to survive his first year of college. So now Roxas was stuck with this loser and his friend named Xehanort who looked like a twenty five year old who had been smoking pot and sniffing his crack all at the same time.  
Vanitas just smirked and made a slight purring sound. "Oh whatever is the matter cousin? It was just a question." His friend made a slight chuckle and then both of them got up to talk with Aerith stepping on Roxas's foot in the process. Roxas tried his hardest to keep himself from screaming both in pain and from frustration. This guy…! Roxas was spinning in his own thoughts till his mother called for him to follow them to the car.  
Roxas wanted front seat but Xehanort called it first. So Roxas had to handle being with Vanitas in the back. Vanitas smirked at his cousin and pinched him on the neck. The blond didn't take it too well and all through the ride started arguing with the other boy. They bickered for hours till Aerith managed a sigh and found a parking spot. Everyone got out of the car, but Roxas followed the others far behind afraid that what he was about to encounter was his doom.  
The mall was big in the inside but looked small on the outside. The shops were in every corner and section of the mall and there were so many that Roxas couldn't keep count of them. To the blond, this place was heaven. Most of the stores had many clothing items to choose from and not only that, but they also had a big selection on makeup. Roxas hugged himself from all the excitement.  
Xehanort and Vanitas went over to the food court just to find some chicks to flirt with. Aerith went over to the chocolate shop, thinking her husband Cloud might want something sweet. The thought of Cloud made Roxas remember that his father was home already yet he didn't greet him at all when his parents got back from the airport. Why hadn't he done it? His father didn't see him all that much but on weekends, so really what was the point. Did his father really care? In Roxas's mind the answer was no.  
Roxas decided to roam around a bit to find any new fashion ideas. Shopping was one of his specialties and he loved doing it. He noticed a nice pair of skinny jeans that had red paint splattered on them over black with silver glitter swirling around the colors. He wanted to try it on… at least once. Maybe when no one was looking…  
He was going to get them.  
Roxas crept into the store and went into the guys section. He pretended to look bored and sometimes made a small sigh. When no one was in sight he hurried himself to the area of the teen girls. This was it… the moment he was looking for. Roxas saw only one pair left on the rack. If he was going to get it he would have to hurry before-  
"Axel seriously… you need to get your head out of the clouds and pay attention. I need you to tell me how these outfits look on me, you got it? Geez… If I'm going to become future homecoming queen I need to look good." Larxene chirped.  
Roxas hid behind a rail of clothes. Damn, he was so close to getting those pants! He sighed. Getting pants like that was like a once in a life time chance. The sign on the window said that it was limited time only and that there were only a few to exist yet at a cheap price.  
"This…is perfect." Larxene squealed. She pointed to the said pants and dragged Axel across the floor almost making him trip. She took the pants off the rack and looked closely at the designs. "I'm getting this!"  
The blond looked at the ground disappointedly. He saw the pants first and he wanted them really bad, but he was too nervous to even call Larxene out. What if she told the whole school! Roxas couldn't let that happen. So the blond slumped his head low and was about to turn to the opposite direction.  
"Wait a minute Larx." Axel put his arm around the girl smugly and took the pair of pants, putting them back on the rack. "Look at those." Axel pointed towards the shoes. There was a pair of high-heals that were yellow with blue lightning bolts on them. "Those are on sale you should seriously try them. It would go perfect with your homecoming dress."  
Larxene smirked. "Your right, they would be perfect!" She rushed over to try on the expensive shoes.  
Axel turned his back on Roxas and started walking towards a different part of the store. Roxas took the chance to take the pair of pants in his arms. He looked down at the fabric that he held and observed the designs that were in all the right spots. It was the best best best best best best best!  
"Roxas."  
The blond quickly looked up at the green eyes that were taking in all his features. He gulped.  
"I knew it was you when I saw that messy blond hair sticking up from behind the rack." Axel chuckled. This only caused Roxas to blush even more. Axel made a sly tone. "Take em' before she gets back."  
Roxas nodded and rushed to the dressing room. To his amazement they were a perfect fit despite how small they were compared to his legs. Though he guessed it just seemed that way since men and woman's sizes were different. He hurried back into his own pants and took out his wallet. He didn't have enough. The blond slumped back and put the pants up, Axel quirked an eyebrow.  
"Did they fit?" Axel asked curiously.  
Roxas nodded. Not saying a word.  
"Aren't you going to buy them?"  
Roxas shook his head.  
"Too much?"  
Again the blond nodded. Arg! Why couldn't he just say something? He was being a wimp, he saw the guy yesterday and he was perfectly fine.  
"Oh Roxas." Axel said scratching his head of red hair. "Come with me." Axel dragged Roxas to the counter along with the pants. "Here," Axel handed the pants to a lady who was about in her twenties. She scanned the tag and released a smile.  
"These for your girl friend?" She asked flirtatiously.  
Axel thought a moment. "Something like that." That was his only response. Roxas turned a deep red and tried hiding his face afraid someone, being Axel, would see it creeping all over him. What did he mean by that?  
Oh god! Oh god! Ooohhhh Gooddd! Why did he have to be so much of a uke?  
Once outside the store Axel handed Roxas the bag with the jeans. The red heads eyes narrowed when he saw Roxas looking at the floor like an idiot. He smirked. The blond was all red in the face, and he was enjoying the show of it. "Hey Roxas, aren't you going to thank me?"  
Roxas blushed even more realizing that he had forgotten. "Uh… Thank you… Axel." His voice was almost a whisper and he tried to not look at Axel directly in the eyes fearing he might end up kissing him like in those movies when the girl and the guy are having a moment, or in this case a guy and a guy.  
"No problem sweet cheeks." Axel put his arm around Roxas who thought he was going to pass out and trying to tell himself that Axel was not hitting on him. He couldn't be. "Roxas you're so cute when you turn red. Heh, I wonder what else can make your face turn that color."  
Roxas could feel the heat building up fast. He didn't know whether to run or go along with Axel's little game of flirting. "Umm…"  
"Your hairs nice." Axel's eyes drooped as if lost in thought. Roxas wondered what he was thinking to make himself look so lost.  
"Axel…"  
"Roxxxyyy! Demyx I choose you! Ultimate glomping water clone!"  
Roxas turned to find Demyx accelerating towards him. Before Roxas even had the chance to stop the other blond, Demyx collided with Roxas, knocking him and Axel off their feet. "Demyx you little bastard…" Axel didn't sound too enthusiastic.  
Demyx laughed when Axel tried to take a joking swing at his head but failing to get close enough to him. "Hey guys!" Demyx gave Roxas a hug a giant would love.  
"Hey Demyx…ouch." Roxas rubbed his head which was now throbbing.  
"You guys should come with me! I have to show Roxas something."  
Axel sighed. “Sorry but I have someone in that store there who wouldn't like it if I ditched her. Larxene isn't pretty when she's upset…" He gave a wave and a nervous laugh before he got up and waited beside the store.  
"Well, what are we waiting for Roxas? Let's go!" Demyx ushered Roxas.  
"Can this wait for a bit I have ta- wahh! Demyx slow down your running like a maniac. God Demyx!" Demyx dragged Roxas down the mall's hallways holding his hand as they went. Whatever Demyx wanted him to see it better be good.  
"Whoa…" Was all Roxas could say. Never had he thought the mall would be selling something so amazing, awesome, and gorgeous! It was even better than the moment with the pants. It… it was…  
"I want that sparkly lip gloss…"  
"That's what I thought you would say Roxas! Heh, how bout I get you some for you to try on?" Demyx asked him.  
"If you do I would totally love you forever!" Roxas was still stunned by the whole thing. It was not just any kind of makeup… it was sparkly lip gloss, sparkly lip gloss that had sparkles and gloss, sparkles and gloss added together to make the ultimate combination in all of makeup's history. It was a dream come true for all blondes out in the universe.  
"Well that settles it then, you're getting it."


	6. My Little Kid's Dream

My Little Kid's Dream   
Everything went so fast. Roxas knew he was standing outside the school building one minute, but somehow he ended up inside the preparation room the next. Demyx must have a good reason for dragging him there.  
"Ok Roxas, what do you think of helping out with the homecoming preparations? I know what you're going to say, 'But people will think I'm a girly man! I can't do this! Waah. Waah. Waaaaaahhhhh.' Well never fear Roxas, for I, Demyx Clone, have witnessed with my own eyes, other men helping out this year! So you better say yes…" Demyx put his hands on his hips and slouched so he could look at Roxas right in the eyes. Roxas was going to do this, he was going to have fun, and he was going to like every bit of it.  
Roxas shifted uncomfortably. "Demyx I know that you mean well, but-"  
"Don't you dare say it young man! I'll have Aerith march herself down here to just make you do it you understand?"  
"I don't think you can really do that."  
"Watch me Roxy boy, watch me!" Demyx had a smug look on his face and was about to walk out the empty room.  
"Wait! Ok, ok, I'll do it. Just don't tell mom to come over here…" Roxas looked up and down the hallway to see if anyone might come into the class room. "Where do we sign up?"  
The homecoming crew was to meet after school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from three o'clock to five o'clock. Thankfully, students weren't given much homework around this time of year, being fall. Roxas had all the time in the world to help prepare, without excuses to Demyx, which made the taller blond happy.  
"Roxas, Aren't you excited?" Demyx asked while walking by Roxas's side in a hallway that only had the two of them. "I know I am. We get to help with the homecoming! Roxas, your life's dream is right in front of you. If you're lucky you can become the homecoming king."  
"But I… don't really want to be the king." Roxas said quietly. He then mumbled something else. "I… want to be the queen."  
Demyx sighed. Oh course Roxas wanted to be the queen how could he be so stupid? The bad part of that was everyone expected the queen to be a girl. Not only that, but Roxas would be found out by the whole school. As Demyx and Roxas headed out of the planning room they went their separate ways in silence.  
Ice-cream  
The  
Best  
Friend  
Of  
All  
Friends  
.  
.  
.  
Or at least in Roxas's mind. He needed the sweetness of both salty and sweet on days such as this one. Sea-salt ice-cream would do the trick. All he needed was a bit of cheering up. After what Demyx had said, Roxas couldn't have felt more like a complete idiot. His dream was right in front of him. Ever since day one of junior high after he watched the most amazing movie… High school-cough-musical, all he wanted was to help prepare homecoming, but there was also a down fall to it. He didn't just want to help; he also wanted to become the queen. Pff. Not ganna happen… he was a GUY for crying out loud and in the school people were most likely going to beat him up if they found out about his interest.  
The small blond wasn't going to have any of that. He'd rather waste away then have himself caught in the middle of a big fiasco. There, he was done. His little kid's dream crushed to the very bottomless pit of doom.  
"Honey, your father is on the phone and would like to speak with you." Aerith called her son from the kitchen.  
Guess I can't run away this time. Roxas thought. He slipped off his pink office chair that was by his desk and decided he wasn't in the best mood to skip down the stairs like he usually did. Once he reached the first floor he walked over to his mother and took the phone carefully. "Hey."  
"Hey Roxas, how are you?" Cloud asked his son.  
Roxas was silent for a few seconds before answering. "Alright… I'm just working on some stuff right now."  
"What kind of stuff."  
"Preparations for homecoming, I help in the design and activities department." Roxas waited for an answer. When he didn't get one he frowned. "Hello?"  
"Oh, sorry Roxas… So, is it any fun?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Well that's good, glad for yah Kid'o."  
Roxas couldn't think of anything to say. Cloud was like a complete stranger to him now.  
"Well anyway Roxas, I called you because there's something we need to talk about in person."  
That did it. Roxas reached his limit. He couldn't take any more of it. This man was supposed to be his father. Yet he leaves the house pretty much all the time, now he expected him to see him out of the blue?  
"It's really important Roxas, so I was thinking we could go-"  
"I hate you."  
"What'd you say Roxas?"  
"I said I hate you damn it!" Roxas realized he had just screamed something into the phone. He just said he hated him. All the anger and sadness had finally swarmed its way out, but now it couldn't be taken back.  
The phone on the other end made a slight noise from Cloud clutching the phone tighter. "I see…"  
Roxas didn't want to hear it, he slammed the phone down with a loud click and sped his way up stairs. He could hear his mother calling him, but he didn't answer. He didn't want to be bothered. Maybe it was better this way.


	7. KeyBlade Masters

KeyBlade Masters  
"Paint ball?"  
"Yeah, doesn't that sound like fun?" Demyx jumped with glee.  
Roxas wasn't too enthusiastic about the whole idea. It sounded painful. "I don't know, maybe we should do something else…"  
"Cooommmeeeee ooonnnn! Roxy you gotta! It's a once in a life time chance. How many times do you think I'm going to come across these for free? These passes aren't cheap you know." Demyx pouted and crossed his arms. He had won the tickets at a music festival several months ago, and if he didn't use them soon they would have gone to waste.  
"Why do you even want to go? You're not exactly the kind of person who I see playing sports." Roxas narrowed his eyes in suspension.  
"Well… I might have heard that umm… The Keyblade Warriors were going to be there."  
"Get out! That's your favorite band right?" Roxas had heard of The Keyblade Warriors after Demyx had sent him a copy of the CD. To Demyx they were his god's.  
"Yes! Terra, Aqua, and the mystery guy! They are amazing!"  
"Mystery guy, hahaha. The guy who always wears a mask during the shows? He cracks me up. Some say he's an alien right?"  
"Mhm! Oh I really want to meet them!"  
Roxas tapped his foot and swung off his bed. "Alright, we'll go, but you owe me big time."  
"Really Roxy? Thank you thank you thank you!"  
"Whatever." Roxas couldn't help but laugh.  
The place was wide with echoing walls. People scattered everywhere and you could see the bright colors of paint along the floor and walls.  
"Ooh, look at that pretty red!" Demyx pointed out. It was a dark red that was splattered on the floor. It shined when light hit it just right.  
A man who had been watching Demyx and Roxas grinned and walked over to them. "That's not paint. That's blood."  
Roxas frowned. "Oh… how lovely." But then shook his head when he realized the voice came from a certain someone who was also here. Small world. "Oh… it's just you."  
The man laughed. "What's up Shorty? I didn't know you were in to this stuff."  
"I'm not. Demyx begged me too, though the only reason he's here is to see The KeyBlade Masters." Roxas shrugged really not wanting to talk all that much. He clearly had a lot on his mind.  
The man laughed. "Oh come on dude you've gotta live a little. You beat those suckers out there to a pulp you hear me?"  
"Whatever you say Xigbar."  
"Look… kid. I know it's been rough, but you're still young and you don't need to be going about worrying about these sorts of things. What you need to worry about is school and your mom… and sometimes boys."  
Although Xigbar used to be one of Cloud's co-workers, Roxas still talked to him over the phone at times, probably wishing he was his father instead of Cloud. "I didn't know you were the type to be giving that kind of advice… school? Really?"  
"…Haah… who am I kidding school isn't that important."  
"Roxy come on!" Demyx… Roxas almost forgot he was even there. "Let's go I wanna see if I can find them!"  
"Oh fine… We'll see yeah Xiggy!"  
"See yeah kid! Tell Aerith I said hi."  
"Will do will do."  
Roxas scanned the room. There were spatters in every corner and he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous even with his mask and harness on. His hands clutched the paint gun tightly. God he wished he hadn't agreed to this…  
The referee came over to the court before Roxas had time to find a place to run. "Alllrighty kiddies let's start this off with the ground rules. No hitting, kicking, punching, or pointing those things to anyone's…ah… well you better not do any of them or we will kick your little asses out of here you understand? Ok… Go at it!"  
Everyone took off getting their guns in range. Roxas, not even trying to aim went around running ducking ever ball of color that came his way. Several people were already struck out from their many pain splatters, not Roxas just hoped he would be the last one standing.  
"Wasn't that fun Roxas?" Demyx asked after taking a big gulp out of a coke can.  
"No I almost died out there. It's all your fault."  
"Oh don't be such a sore loser Roxas. You're just upset that you couldn't get the courage to actually hit someone with a ball of paint."  
"Yeah right!" Roxas crossed his arms sitting at table that was in a café that was connected to the paint ball court.  
"Roxas I have to say, I had no idea you were such a-"  
"Look Demyx."  
"Now Roxas let me just-"  
"Demyx look!"  
"Roxas, I just-"  
"Damn it Demyx just look over there!"  
After failing multiple times of listening to Roxas, Demyx Clone took one look behind him just to end up flat on his face. After Demyx got off the floor he felt his eyes bulge and looking up at the lead singer of the KeyBlade Masters, Terra. "I must be dreaming…"  
"Hahaha. Do you want me to pinch yah kid? Cuz I'm as real as they can get." Terra laughed.  
"You're real. I can't believe this. Wow this is awesome!" Demyx jump off the floor and gazed up in awe at the tall brown haired man. He had just completed his dream.  
"Oh course you know my name, Terra, so how about you introduce yourselves."  
"Oh! Of course. I'm Demyx and that guy over there is my best pal Roxas."  
Terra smiled and waved at the blond, but got a glare in return making him cringe.  
"I have to ask," Roxas said. "Why talk to us? Don't you have other things to do with your time?" Roxas didn't know why he was being so rude, but he couldn't help the fact that Terra's voice sounded so familiar when he wasn't singing… but so far he could figure out why.  
"You actually look like someone I know so I couldn't help, but ask. What's your last name may I ask?" Terra said now getting himself back together.  
"It's Strife."  
"Oh… uh… hea hea."  
Demyx could feel the tension rise. "Roxas why are you being so rude?"  
"Oh don't worry about it, I…um… well I'll maybe see you guys later." Terra waved back at them before moving on with his crew.  
"Roxas what is wrong with you? You can't just be like that around people, you know that… actually now that I think about it this is the first you've ever been like that… are you alright?"  
"No, I'm not Demyx. Truthfully I didn't want to come at all. I'm concerned about Axel, my dad wants to have a talk with me about god knows what after so many years, and that guy sounds so familiar, and not in a good kind of familiar. Demy I'm just so stressed I don't know how I'm ganna even contain myself. I just want to go lie down in my room and watch multiple episodes of My Little Pony. I think that's the best solution for me right now." Roxas got up from the table and headed to the door with Demyx trailing behind looking miserable and even a bit guilty.  
Roxas turned on his hello kitty TV and snuggled up in his pink sheets. Only just last year he had bought the whole first two seasons of My Little Pony, and now he was going to watch it with the most excitement that he could release out of himself. It was going to be a long night.  
Only a few hours had passed and Roxas was about to shut his eyes. That's what staring at a TV for a really long time does to you. You get all drowsy and your eyes want to shut because they sting when the air hits them. Roxas was having that experience. Though I guess to him it was a relief from all the stress that had overwhelmed him over the past few days.  
"Roxas?" Aerith knocked on the door to her sleeping angel's room. It was quiet. She took a peek to find Roxas asleep under the covers. The TV was still running and Roxas looked like he was run right over by a horse-drawn carriage… or more like pony-drawn carriage. Aerith sighed at that. Roxas was having a hard time now that his father was finally going to talk to Roxas in person. It was only going to get harder after he hears the news that awaited him.


	8. Worse comes to worse comes to FUN!

Worse comes to worse comes to FUN!  
Axel went inside his house on Tuesday after school and found it empty… again. It had been a year since the last time he saw his father. Axel had to live on his own for most of the time. His father had been avoiding him, making up excuses about going out with friends or spending more time at work when really he was being an obnoxious bastard.  
The day it started, Axel couldn't forget.  
Axel sighed in his room which didn't have that much light because it was so dark outside. It was the day his mother died. Demyx was over talking with him about how everyone missed her, but everyone could still feel her within Axel. That was where Axel got his red hair, from his mother's gens. Ariel always made fun of him for it. How he had that bit of feminine look, but still had that silly boy attitude. God how he missed her, it was also how he got his name; Ariel for water and Axel for fire.   
After Demyx left, he thought maybe it was time to tell his dad the truth he had been hiding. His mother would have wanted that wouldn't she? She knew about his secret right from the day he started middle school. He didn't have to tell her, she just knew. Axel's dad on the other hand…  
"Hey dad…"   
"Hey! What's up kid?... You need to talk about Ariel?" A blonde man asked. He wasn't thin like Axel, but not really fat either. He was one of those type of people you would find working on their car all the time. In fact that's what he did for a living, fixing up peoples cars at his own little shop.   
"No… that's not it. It's something else. I have this problem… I have someone I like, but I don't know how to just go up to them and it's hard." Axel took this chance to stare at his feet.   
"Oh? It can't be that hard. You've asked other girls out before. What's their name?"   
"Roxas."   
"Roxas? You mean Roxanne?"   
"No… I mean Roxas."   
"Strange name for a girl, well the weirder the better."   
"You don't get it dad…"   
"Get what? There's a girl you like and I bet she's pretty cute right? Well all you have to do is go up to her and ask her out. How hard could it be? You've asked girls out on dates before Axel so how is this any diff—"   
"Roxas is a guy!"   
"What?"   
"A guy dad, Roxas is a guy and I'm freakin gay OK! I don't like girls like that! I never had! I like the male gender!"   
"Get out."   
"Huh?"   
"I SAID GET OUT!"   
Axel jump with his frightened eyes trying to find an escape route of some sort. He didn't find one and when he didn't move he felt a large slap to his face. His father had hit him for the first time.   
"You're not my son, your just some little fag that swept its way into my house!" And that's when Axel's father left. He didn't take anything, just got up and left.   
Axel woke up the next morning on the carpet floor in the small living room. He feared getting up at all and so had just spent his night on the carpet without making the slightest sound. When he finally did though he went to look for his father in his room slowly and cautiously, but he was nowhere in sight. Axel began to panic, but stopped short when he saw a message that was on the phone. He clicked it.   
'Axel this is your father. I won't be home for a long while. Business out of town, probably a maximum of two to three weeks.' The message ended without even saying a good bye.   
Axel started to feel the tears falling.   
Oh course, Axel's father had eventually come back after three weeks like he said he would, but it wasn't long before he was out of the house again and again till finally he didn't show up.   
Nothing seemed to be changing. Axel went to his bedroom and plopped down on top of his bed. "Roxas." He whispered before falling to sleep.  
It had been a long day. Roxas thought that he would just like to make a bath and soak in it. Maybe with lots and lots of rainbow colored bubbles. He liked bubbles. It sounded silly, but come on who doesn't like bubbles. Those little suckers were so fun to pop.  
With a slight 'hmm' Roxas skipped…walked fashionably back to his house. Once inside, the small blonde made his way inside and upstairs. He had worked hard for homecoming preparations and he needed to bathe.  
The water was warm on his body and the bubbles tickled him slightly. Perfect. It was a nice feeling. Roxas sunk lower till the water reached the edge of his ears.  
"Roxas?"  
"What is it mom?" Roxas called back from the voice that was coming from the other side of the door.  
"Axel just stopped by and asked to see you, I told him to wait outside. I wasn't sure if you wanted to see him or not since you're in the middle of something." Aerith chuckled.  
Roxas turned red, but got out none the less. "I'll be down in a bit." Roxas sighed. Guess the bathe will have to wait till another time. Roxas got ready and went to great the red headed boy.  
"Hey Axel."  
"Hey."  
"What'cha here for hmm?"  
"Oh… I uh, just wanted to know if you wanted to go for a walk."  
"Yeah… that's fine."  
Roxas and Axel walked in silence. Both of them felt tension from the other, consuming in their emotions which built up their own. Roxas had noticed Axel's mood had changed while Axel noticed Roxas was being more… bothered or annoyed.  
"So, you're working on homecoming I heard." Axel said breaking the silence.  
"Yeah, it's tiring though. I can't seem to get a break." Roxas laughed.  
"What?" Axel asked curiously.  
"I just remembered something funny that happened today. Demyx and I were working on this big papier-mâché disco ball that we were going to cover in silver sheets for a dance decoration, but when Demyx was working he accidently put his hand that was full of glue on top of his head. He started panicking when he could remove his hand. Ha ha ha!"  
"Oh my god! How stupid can he get? Ha ha!" Axel wiped some tears off from his laughter.  
Roxas sighed. Axel was so fun to talk to. Though Roxas wondered why Axel came to see him. "So why'd you come to see me?"  
"Huh? Can't see a buddy of mine? Geez!" Axel pretended to be offended. Roxas laughed. Axel laughed back. Then they both burst into hysterical laughter. It wasn't that something was funny, they just felt real good at that moment.  
"I wonder how far we went." Roxas said as he noticed their surroundings changed. It only felt like it had been a few minutes.  
"I think were about half a mile now."  
"Should we head back then?"  
"Let's wait a bit longer. I like this area."  
Axel took Roxas back home about twenty minutes later and went back to his own house. He looked over at the phone to see if there were any messages. There were three.  
Hey Axel! It's Demyx, your favorite cousin in the whole universe. Just want to let you know that you better hurry up and pick something out for next week on Wednesday. I hope you haven't forgotten… anyway you better hurry it up! See-yeah-later.   
Axel thought about what he had forgotten when he realized it was the day of the big party that Larxene was holding. He wasn't all enthusiastic.  
Axel. This is your father. I'm mailing you some money for the next few months and I just want you to know it's not for your own self-interest. It's for you to get by in life, you understand. Click.   
Damn it. Couldn't he just mail it with the money instead of wasting his time recording a message to him?  
Hi Axel. It's Tifa from Therapy I just wanted to know when you would like to schedule another meeting. Demyx says things have been harder on you lately and I just want to make sure you keep in touch. Bye, bye.   
Axel deleted them all.  
"Alright. I'll do it… just pleeeeaaassse don't ruin her!" Roxas said anxiously. It was now Saturday the only time Roxas could relax and Demyx just had to mess it up.  
"Hea. Ok, that a boy-uh-girl."Demyx snickered.  
"Roxas come on it will be fun to at least feel what it's like to be like that outside." Axel said. "It's not the end of the world."  
Demyx was having too much fun with what he was about to have Roxas do. After school he rushed to Roxas's house before Roxas got there and took his most prized possession, the one of the few Fluttershy plushies that existed that Roxas had gotten from his cousin Ventus. Now he was blackmailing Roxas into going outside dressed as a girl, with a wig of course… and maybe some fake boobs.  
"Give her back now…" Roxas whined.  
"No can do Roxas." Demyx smiled. "She's staying with me until you get back from our little trip."  
"Ok…if you ruin her…"  
"Don't worry nothing's going to happen it."  
"Her."  
"Whatever."  
"Alright you two, are you ready to get out there and do your thing Roxy?" Axel asked.  
"Not really, but thanks for asking." Roxas said sarcastically.  
"Ok! Let's go!" Axel tugged Roxas to his room before he could protest.  
Things were just getting good.


	9. Dragging Along

Dragging Along   
Roxas huffed in protest as he was being pulled out the door of his house. He wore a puffy pink dress that looked like from a Lolita cosplay. It had black puffs of fabric underneath along with black lace along the rims of the dress. Around the middle was a black corset with pink lace and strings. Roxas also had a long blond wig on his head with a black and pink bow. Around his legs were also black fishnet stockings that took the shape of roses that clamped tightly around his thin and nicely shaped legs. On his feet here some shiny pink high heels with small bows on the front. Roxas wanted to die.  
"You look so cute!" Aerith squealed as she saw her son come out in the open. "Demyx was right. Blackmail is the best solution to everything!"  
"Mom! You were in on it?" Roxas's mouth fell to the floor. Who knew his mother could be so devious.  
"Of course. Who wouldn't give a chance to see their son in a nice pink frilly dress?... And fake large D' boobs?"  
"MOM!"  
"Just kidding."  
Roxas, Demyx, and Axel all left in Demyx's car. It was pretty nice besides the rust on the outside, but it worked like a charm.  
"So I was thinking we could go shopping for our little Roxy here then go out to brunch at that little café that's towards the end of town. What do you think Axel?" Demyx narrowed his eyes slyly and had a stupid evil looking grin that made Roxas shiver a bit.  
"I think that's just a splendid idea. Our little Roxy is sure to be excited aren't you our precious?" Axel grinned when he received a low growl from the short blonde.  
Roxas was far from happy. "I'll kill you all in your sleep."  
"Not unless I wake up and pull you in my arms."  
"You…you…" Roxas's face flushed as he hid it in the corner of his seat. Score one for Axel!  
"Hmm." Wink wink.  
"Alright you two stop flirting in the back seat." Demyx coughed.  
"Demyx you pervert!" Axel said jokingly.  
"Yeahhh…"  
"You guys are so annoying…" Roxas commented.  
"Aw. So cute when your annoyed… in your pink Lolita."  
"Shut up!"  
Several hours later.  
"You know you can't resist this Roxas." Axel smirked.  
"You're so full of it. I don't even know why I lik…"  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing! Oh nothing."  
"heh." Demyx turned the car into the mall parking lot. "Where here!"  
"Oh good! Come on Demyx lets go!" Roxas rushed away from the red head and pushed Demyx forward.  
"Aw, Roxy! Why won't you get close to meeee!" Axel whined.  
"Because you make me feel so…so…what's the word."  
"Horny?"  
Roxas glared.  
"Oh I'm just messing with you Roxas." Axel laughed.  
"Well it isn't funny…" Roxas mumbled but failed to hide the red on his cheeks.  
"Well I don't know about you two but I think it's time for us to get Roxas a new wardrobe."Demyx skipped his way to the entrance. Roxas walked slowly behind, making sure no one noticed he was a guy in girl's clothing.  
"So… what are we going to do first?" Roxas asked once they were inside.  
"I was thinking we should go to you know where."  
"Ah. You know where, how interesting." Axel chuckled.  
"What's you know where?" Roxas asked curiously.  
"You'll see."  
(Welcome too—)  
"Ah shit."  
Roxas stood helplessly in front of the store with his little legs trembling in fear of being dragged around in such a place. Yes, it did have Roxas's favorite color pink, lots of makeup, clothes, and even bra's/panties to try on (which by the way, Roxas liked to keep that little detail to himself), but the thing about this store was that it scared Roxas to death. The reason you ask? Well… let's just say that it was covered in the most horrific things that Roxas considered "indecent".  
"Victoria's Secret huh?..." Roxas gulped down and gripped his dress.  
"Well, yeah!" Demyx clapped his hands. "I mean come on Roxas, this has to be the store that every single girl goes to right?"  
"Actually I think the biggest store that's covered in females is Forever21." Roxas murmured.  
"Huh? Never heard of it."  
"Maybe because you have zero observation…"  
"Well Roxas your being a bit of a whiney aren't you?"  
"Only cuz this store is creepy."  
"Fine… you don't get that thing back."  
"It's a her!"  
"Whatever Roxas."  
"Ok are we just going to stand here all day or go shopping for Roxy here?" Axel butted in.  
That only got a smirk from Demyx who grabbed Roxas by the arm and pulled him quick enough, before he could protest, into the pink sparkly world of no return. Axel just stood outside and laughed. He'd let Demyx take care of the rest.  
Roxas didn't want to cause any troublesome kind of manner so he had no other choice, but do what Demyx wanted him to, which of course, in all comedy sense would be to take him to the source of the private world of girl… PANTIES.   
"I knoooww you want some of these Roxy." Demyx laughed. Roxas glared in return. No way was he going to be caught buying panties in girl's clothes with two other boys with him. No. Way. In. Hell.  
"But Demyx…" Roxas couldn't find the words. How could you clear a situation such as this when your most precious treasure was in the center of it all which could end in a great big smash?  
"Roxas…"Demyx said a bit nervously. This got Roxas's attention. "I just want to let you know that even if I did blackmail you into this you were still brave enough to go out as the real you and no matter what you choose, Axel and I are here for you… and another thing…"  
"Yes?"  
"You should definitely try on some panties then you'll feel like a real girl." Demyx ran away before Roxas could slap him across the face, but instead Roxas took that quite literally.  
Roxas looked closely at the pairs of lacey fabric. They did look… nice. There was even a pair with bunny rabbits. Roxas liked bunnies. Roxas cautiously looked around and took a few pairs and went up to the counter. The girl at the cashier was wearing a short leather skirt and a red tank top. She was stunning to look at, but Roxas feared more about her smarts than her beauty. From what he could tell she had a very serious look.  
Once Roxas put the items on the fabric he tilted his head down and took out his wallet. The girl stared for a moment, but then smiled. "You must be a new comer, nice to meet you, I'm Namine."  
"Oh, uh, nice to meet you." Roxas extended his hand and shook the girl's. "I would like to buy these, please."  
Namine nodded and before scanning asked Roxas, "So, did you know that all corsets are 80% off today? I have a few still in stock, if you care to try them."  
"Oh, I didn't know. I would like to if it isn't any trouble."  
"Of course not. Here I can keep these at the counter so you don't have to worry about holding them." Namine took the panties and put them behind the counter and lead Roxas down to the other side of the store. The store section was a bit darker, but had lights shining over the items that were for sale. Namine pointed to a rack of nicely lined up corsets. Roxas watched as Namine pulled out a light blue, over the breast corset that had black trim and lace. Some cross stings in front and a black bow in the center. "This one is up at a pretty good price right now for $20. Would you like to try it on?"  
"Oh, that would be great." Roxas couldn't hide his excitement at the cute corset he had his eyes on. It was perfect and hopefully it fit him well.  
"Allllrighty! Well if you just turn to your right in that direction you'll be able to find the dressing rooms. (In the dressing room! Da da da dada dada da da da. In the dressing room. Random electric keyboard solo. Sorry I just had a wave of Breathe Carolina hit me in the face xD) Have fun!" Namine put both her hands up with a thumbs-up. She went back to her position.  
Roxas couldn't stop smiling. Everything just felt so… right. He felt like he had just been reborn to a whole new Roxas. A girl Roxas. Once Roxas had gotten out of the Lolita he tried on the corset. Five things about what this corset did to Roxas: 1) The corset made Roxas heat up in excitement at the cuteness it had. 2) Made him more excited that it did in fact fit him. 3) Made him stop breathing for a moment because he got even more excited. 4) Fell down because his excitement almost made him pass out. 5) Made his boobs look even bigger than they were.  
You: His boobs?  
Your lovely author: Yes. His boobs.  
You: But he's a guy…  
Your lovely author: Yes… he is a guy.  
You: Guy's don't have boobs.  
Your lovely author: Yeah. So?  
You: Therefore Roxas can't have boobs. Though I hope there's a twist in which Roxas grows them by Axel waving a magic wand. :D  
Your lovely author: …Yeah… good luck with that fantasy.  
You: You're a monster!  
Your lovely author: That's beside the point! Anyway-  
Roxas blushed as he looked himself in the mirror. The corset was amazing with the black and blue colors clashing together. He was definitely going to buy it. Roxas took it off and got back into his pink Lolita. He went to the counter and handed it to Namine who smiled and got out the undergarments that Roxas had her hold on to. She was a really sweet girl as you could tell by far.  
"I'll see you around Namine." Roxas waved as he exited the store.  
Namine waved back. She couldn't help but think hope sweet of a girl she was.  
An hour of shopping had passed. Axel and Demyx during all that time couldn't stop pestering poor little Roxy out of his mind.  
"So, what's in that bag Roxas?" Axel asked amuse.  
"Nothing for you to know." Roxas tried to sound as sarcastic as possible.  
"Oh come on, you have to show me Miss Chibi Cupcake."  
"I'm not a cupcake… and plus it's your own fault plus Demyx for thinking up this plan of having me walk around in Lolita."  
"Hey, you were up for it."  
"Only because you threatened to kill my baby."  
"You me that glass thing?"  
"It's. A. She."  
"Oh whatever Rox."  
The three boys finally finished up their shopping after Axel bought a pair of fuzzy-tiger stripped handcuffs for a joke at Spenser's, another place Roxas wanted to avoid.  
It wasn't long before they were all feeling tired of walking around and hungry out of their pea size minds. To relieve themselves of such, Demyx drove them to a small café for some lunch and a cup of coffee. The café had a homey sort of feeling with red sofas and black and white tile. The perfect quiet place to be.  
After Demyx and Axel ordered a large lunch, Roxas just got some ice water and peanut-butter and jelly, Demyx laid back and sighed.  
"What a day." He moaned. Roxas couldn't help but giggle, Demyx looked like a turtle that got caught upside down on his shell. "I'll be right back; I've got to go to the little boys' room."  
"Alright." Roxas and Axel said in unison.  
Demyx walked off and everything seemed to get really quiet. Roxas rubbed on his arm, a habit he had when he got nervous. Probably because he was in a café sitting next to Axel, knees barely touching, and also being in Lolita. Or it could just be because of being alone with Axel in general.  
After about five minutes Roxas got the courage to speak, but not before Axel said something first.  
"The Lolita looks cute on you." Axel's voice was soft and low. He looked so sweet at that moment, not the guy Roxas would see at school with his little act for the rest of the students. "Hey, umm… Roxas?"  
"Y-yes?" Roxas gulped. His heart began to flutter ferociously. The hair on his back and arms stuck up in all directions.  
"I-I just wanted to know if you would be willing to go to the home coming dance will—"  
"Well, well, well. If it ain't Axel the king of the school." A voice said.  
Axel and Roxas looked up from each other's eyes and saw a group of teenage boys that looked like a wreck and somewhat stoned. None of them looked familiar to Axel or Roxas. "What do you want?" Axel asked with a really pissed off look.  
"Why don't you come outside and we'll tell you?" One of the boys said.  
"And I refuse?"  
The boy smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Well…" within a few seconds Roxas was pulled from his seat, trapped in some smelly teen boy's arms that definitely didn't belong to who he wished they did belong to. "Hmm…" The boy took a sniff in Roxas's hair. "Smells nice." He then trailed his hands over Roxas's stomach and to his hips. "Nice body too. You know forget what I said. This boy seems like such a nice catch. I'll let you off the hook if you let me play with his for a while."  
"Don't. You. Dare. If you lay a finger of him, I swear to god I'll kill you and throw you into a lake where you can rot and be eaten by the fish."  
"Ah, ah, ah. Not here Axel. If you want Roxas back you'll have to come outside, but of chores don't act out so much. You'll start to draw the eyes of unwanted people. So let's move out here slowly and a lot kinder." The boy pulled Roxas who was pleading for Axel to help him though his eyes, till they were out the door.  
"Shit." Axel pulled out some cash and put it on the table. Thankfully Demyx had just got out of the bathroom and was being pulled out the door by a furious red head whose head was literally on fire.  
"I swear to god I'll bash their heads in!" Axel fumed. Demyx cautiously walked beside Axel. Not that he wasn't worried about Roxas, it was just the fact that Axel might get them into more trouble than what was worth.  
"Axel you need to calm down. Look, their right in front of us, once you have an opening you can bash all the heads you want. But right now you can't risk any of that, Roxas is under their clutches. You don't want to risk getting him hurt do you?"  
"…no, you’re right. But how do we even get him out of this?"  
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."  
The boys in front stopped once they were in a deserted ally. Of course they would pick a place like this to get the job done.  
The boy who was holding Roxas turned around the face Axel and Demyx who were glaring at him head to foot. "So this is how it's going to work. I know both your secret as well as this pretty boy's over here, Roxas..mm… I'd love to hear him moan my own name. Ha!"  
"You're disgusting." Axel said.  
"Well boo-hoo. What are you going to do about it hot head? Look here's the deal, if you fight me and win you can walk away with Roxas and the other side of himself won't be mentioned to anyone, but your secret won't be safe. Everyone will know you're a big anorexic homo slut. If you walk away, I keep Roxas for the night, but you won't have to worry about your secret being slipped, though Roxas will have to suffer the rest of his life knowing everyone will hate him because he's some kind of freak transvestite.  
"I'll take my chance with the fight." Axel stepped a foot closer.  
"Heh. Thought you might say that." The boy pushed Roxas aside to one of his groupies. "This is ganna be fun."  
Axel frowned. He didn't get at all what these guys wanted out of the fight and he didn't even know how they could have possibly found out about both their secrets. The thoughts only made him angrier; he wasn't going to back down. "Your ganna pay you little roach!" Axel swung his fist.  
An hour maybe? Or a bit more may have passed. Axel punched the teen in the jaw and kicked his back. It had been a while since he had last gotten into a fight, but they were for all the right reasons. In each one Axel had protected someone which was enough to call on a fight. But this fight… Axel couldn't have been more violent. Roxas was there in the clutches of those monsters possibly on the verge of being violated. But Axel didn't really care what they did to him. They would all be punished one way or another for even touching a golden hair that was on his head. That sweet boy he saw crying when he was in grade school. Axel could never forget. The tears the boy let fall down his cheek were enough to made Axel rage his flames. Axel had promised himself that day that he would make sure Roxas wouldn't cry again, and then on he watched him from a distance frightened that he would scare him off if he knew his own secret. But now that he knew, Axel could tell that everything would turn out right for them both in some way.  
"Bastard!" Axel punched again. The teen's nose bleed rapidly. The boy let out a wail of pain.  
"I give! I give! You can take him back!" The boy hurried to his feet and to his group who held Roxas hostage. "Here!" The boy pushed Roxas in Axel's warm arms.  
Roxas began to get teary eyed and pushed his face in Axel's chest. Demyx who had been watching, yet unable to do anything sighed in relief and hugged both Axel and Roxas.  
Axel held Roxas in his arms and pulled Demyx silently away from the dark ally and back to his cousin's car.  
Roxas was dropped back at his house. No one was exactly in the mood for anything else. Roxas carried his glass pony to the door and silently went inside, but not before stopping in his tracks. A man sat in a chair staring at him with his blue eyes.  
"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked the man in such a dark tone he could hardly recognize himself.  
"I came to talk." The man said getting up from his chair and walking up towards Roxas, who on instinct stepped back. The man saw this and sighed.  
"Well you can forget it and just leave to your hell knows where you've been." Roxas began to walk away and passed the man he despised.  
The man grabbed Roxas's arm and spun him around. "You will listen to me Roxas!"  
"And why should I? Give me one good reason!" Roxas began to tremble. What more did this man want?  
"Because today I came home as your father."


	10. Shiver

Shiver  
There are times in which you just want to go wild. Do something completely reckless. Why we do is the question. Maybe we just want to prove something or make another suffer from the damage, whatever the reason, all that matters in our minds at those moments is forgetting all our troubles and only thinking of what we're doing at that exact moment.  
To Roxas the world was spinning rapidly in front of him. Something inside him had died and he felt for the first time that he just wanted to go and run around in dirt, do something completely forbidden in his nature. Maybe he would forget everything that was happening to him and he wouldn't have to suffer from the pain that his father brought him.  
If only that man could understand him more. How come he couldn't get a hint that Roxas felt lonely without a dad around? Him not being around brought up more questions that Roxas wanted to leave unanswered. Was the reason he didn't come home often was because he didn't care about him? Maybe he only wanted to be surrounded by work? Or… is there another family he has and is keeping secret?  
Roxas didn't want to know which was true, all he wanted was to forget. Maybe forget his own existence…  
"Pst. Pst. Psssttt!"  
Roxas rolled on his side facing the window in his bedroom, the bed creaked in return. To his surprise, Roxas found himself facing a person's face. They had red hair, emerald eyes, and two tattoos on their face. Axel…  
Roxas got up and opened the window to let the other boy in. Why he was even here in the middle of the night Roxas didn't know, but it did strike his curiosity.  
"What are you doing here Axel?" Roxas asked as he sat down on his bed quietly so he would wake up either of his parents…especially his father Cloud.  
"I wanted to see you. After what happened, I... just. I couldn't help, but feel that it was my fault." Axel looked at his hands ashamed.  
"You're a jerk Axel." Roxas said amused, rolling his eyes. "How can you come over here and start a sob story around me? You’re horrible. And I thought we were getting close enough to understand that being ourselves is not a issue."  
"Uh… Sorry?"  
"You better be!" Roxas pouted his lip and pretended to look hurt. Axel was fun to mess with.  
Axel chuckled and ran his fingers through his thick soft red hair that was a bit messier than usual. He hadn't made any time to brush it out when he left the house that he didn't really need to sneak out of since it was empty.  
It was a short silence, but not awkward so that both boys felt uneasy. When Axel took a look at Roxas he couldn't help but feel a small tinge of excitement. After all he was with Roxas. Alone. In the dark. Inside a bedroom. What boy wouldn't be?  
"So is there anything else you wanted besides that? I doubt that you came all the way here just for that." Roxas moved a bit closer to look in Axel's eyes which were blinking. A small dose of red began lighting up Axel's cheeks.  
"Um, actually, yeah. I was wondering something. I wanted to ask you before, but those guys showed up before I could finish… heh. Um… I wanted to know if you would like to… um… you know uh…" Roxas waited patiently, whatever Axel wanted to ask must have took a lot of guts. "I wanted to know if you would like to go to the homecoming dance with me… but if you don't I can completely understa—"  
Roxas leaned over and gave Axel a hug and a shy laugh. "Of course. I'd… love to go with you Axel."  
"Oh? Well… um… that's great… I guess I'll have to um… get going now… don't want to keep you up all night. Heh." Axel got up from the bed and tiptoed to the window.  
"Good night Axel." Roxas blushed.  
"Night Roxas." Axel pushed his way through the window, only to have misplaced his footing.  
Axel fell on the ground with a thump on top of the grassy lawn. The boy had to hold his breath to keep himself from screaming in pain… wouldn't want Roxas's parents to show up seeing him crawling out of their son's window at night.  
…Of course if every story were to go that way there wouldn't be any fun.  
Axel made a loud yelp once he realized his leg had been cut. That was the thing about cuts, you never actually feel the pain they bring until you see the blood.  
Roxas started to panic… though he didn't know if it was for Axel being in pain or the fact that his parents would find Axel on the ground because he crawled out his window.  
"Roxas?" Aerith became alert and had woken up from her slumber…that would mean that Cloud was awake too…  
"I'm ok mom!" Roxas called. "I…um…" He needed to think of something.  
"Roxas are you ok?" The sound of Cloud's voice made Roxas shake a bit.  
"I…I'm fine."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah… I just fell out of bed." Good one Roxas!  
Cloud opened the door and stared at Roxas. "You fell out of bed? All the way over there?"  
"Uh yeah… it was a pretty big fall." Was it just Roxas or did it sound just like the conversation from the Chicken Little movie by Disney?  
"Alright, if you say so." Cloud closed the door. Roxas hurried to the window in a flash.  
"Are you ok?" Roxas whispered out the window.  
"I've had worse." Axel moaned as he tried getting back on his feet.  
Oh that Axel.  
The days went by and Roxas couldn't help when he would ever get to hang out with Axel even once. It had already been a week since they last spoke and he was already starting to feel lonely without the red head bugging him up a storm. If only he could find some spare time then maybe they could go get some coffee… though Roxas didn't really care for the stuff… But none of that matters! All Roxas wanted was to have time to spend with Axel.  
"Hey Roxas could you help me with this?" Demyx waved his hand over.  
Roxas nodded and made his way over to the big papier-mâché robotic looking thing the Demyx had been working on. The homecoming theme this year was supposed to be techno style. Which involved a lot of silvery stuff like robots.  
"So how's it going Demyx?" Roxas ripped a few sheets on newspaper and dipped them into the slimy paste.  
"I am so behind right now! I still have to work on the stage and design the tables that were going to have out. Argh! I'm soooo frustrated." Demyx rolled his eyes and then set them on Roxas. "So… got any plans for homecoming?" Demyx asked with a sly smirk.  
"Actually… yeah. I do!" Roxas grind widely. "Axel asked me to go with him."  
"Oh. Well that's great. Though I'm a bit surprised that he's willing to be open like that. I wonder what sparked it."  
"It's possible it has something to do with those guys… you know, the ones that attacked us." Roxas blushed at the thought of Axel protecting him that day.  
"Could be. I still kind of wonder why they were after us in the first place. "  
Demyx and Roxas worked for several hours and when it finally became late got ready to go home. It had been a long day and both were worn out.  
"So I'll see you around." Demyx waved at Roxas before he left and walked to the parking lot to go away in his car.  
Roxas waited outside the school building. His mom was late in picking him up. He wondered what was taking her so long.  
"Hello. Your Roxas right?"  
Roxas jumped and turned around to find a girl staring at him. She had blonde hair like his only it was combed back and two thick hairs stuck up from the top. She was stunning in a way, but had a dark aura that made Roxas's back feel chills run down it.  
"Uh yeah. And you must be L—"  
"Larxene. That's right. I'm the one and only girl in the school who even has a chance at becoming homecoming queen. Unlike those other sluts who can only dream. Am I right?" She smirked and leaned against the brick wall of the school building. Only the outside lights hit her face enough so that Roxas could see her. If there wasn't any light, the darkness would have swallowed them whole.  
"Uh yeah, I guess." Roxas didn't know how to respond to her. She could do anything.  
"Well anyway. Axel wanted me to tell you something." Larxene walked closer to Roxas and whispered in his ear. "He doesn't really like you the way you think he does. He just wanted to see the outcome of it all. It's over Roxas."  
"You're lying." Roxas glared at her.  
"Hey I'm only saying what he told me, I'm just his humble messenger." Larxene did a mock bow and made a small giggle. "Here's some advice Roxas, forget about Axel. He's too much out of your league. He'll get caught up in so much stuff that you, a regular guy, wouldn't be able to be a part of. You'll only get hurt Roxas. And the only way to avoid it is to forget him. It's not like he actually cares about you. I mean come on! How could Axel fall for a low life GUY like you? Do you really believe that Axel could even be gay anyways? Hee hee. Such low probability." Larxene walked down the concrete path out into the front school yard. She stopped once more. "And one more thing Roxas,"  
Roxas looked up at her with watery eyes… even if she was lying, it hurt like hell to even think of such a thing… there was no way.  
"You should probably start thinking about changing your name to Roxanne." Larxene disappeared into the darkness; leaving Roxas slouched on the ground his face covered in tears.


	11. I Hate You, I Love You

I Hate You, I Love You   
Larxene knew. She knew Roxas's secret about being a transvestite. Oh, and that wasn't the worst of it all, for all Roxas knew was that Larxene could be telling lies, but Axel might have had something to do with it. Of course he didn't want to think about it, though in a way it did and didn't make since. One thing it could be is that Axel had nothing to do with any of it and Larxene was just being a total bitch because she wanted Axel to herself because she was bitchy, smutty, and a total snob that wanted to have herself seen in a perfect "couple" relationship. The other part could be that Axel, in all his greatness, was just toying with him. He was the perfect guy. He was smart, athletic, had an interest in music, and was also pretty sexy, sweeping all the girls off their feel with his ultra bright red hair and narrow face, putting everyone in a trance with his light up in the dark emerald eyes… and Roxas, he was a "nobody"; a person without a good and meaningful existence. He was like a ghost that just wandered the school grounds and sometimes somewhere else on the earth. In other words, he could have just been Axel's little shadow, following him because Axel was just that kind of guy, a person in which everyone just followed because he was so great, unlike Roxas who was a puny little boy who was completely lost in his world of girlyness.  
As Roxas stood in the empty parking lot he couldn't help but think that maybe Larxene wasn't lying; maybe Axel really didn't like him. Roxas felt like a broken toy, because that's what he was. He had been pushed around so many times he lost himself and kept hid in a shell, his heart in the end feeling broken. Roxas didn't want that sort of feeling he could be dying from.  
Brum. Brum. Brum.   
Roxas looked around himself in wonder of where the sound was coming from. He forgot about the sound when his pants began to vibrate. It was his cell phone. He looked at the lit screen and was about to cry.  
Axel's name was lit in red colors. What if he was going to tell him that he hated him? Roxas shook the thought out of his head, thinking that if it was going to happen that he might as well get it over with.  
He pressed the button and answered. "Hello?"  
"Roxy! Roxy! What's up? Cuz I was wondering if you might wanna go somewhere tonight, if you're ok with that..." It took awhile for Roxas to figure out exactly what Axel was asking him. Thinking such gloomy thoughts just made his feelings of happiness heighten from the words.  
"Y-yes! Umm… that is, if my parents are fine with it. I mean it is late and all…ah I have another call coming through can you hold on a sec?"  
"No problem, take your time."  
Roxas answered. "Hello?"  
"Oh honey it's your mother calling. It seems I won't be able to pick you up because a certain red head wanted to steal you away for awhile. I hope you don't mind."  
"Oh…um sure I guess. I'll see you later mom. Heh." Roxas hung up and connected to Axel again. "Uh yeah, I can go, but um… how long you ganna take to get here?"  
"How long? I just pulled in."  
Roxas looked up from a loud rumbling noise. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Axel pull in front of him on a black and green sport touring motorcycle.  
"Hey." Axel smiled and nodded toward the back seat and handed Roxas a black helmet which had "fire wheel" printed on it with neon green letter. "Care for a spin?"  
Roxas took the helmet and wrapped his arm around it to study the printed letters. What could he say? Axel was on a freakin motorcycle. Where did he even get one?  
"My uncle said he'd give me my early birthday present since this is a special occasion. Hope your not to scared on riding on it cuz I can just take it ba—"  
Roxas hopped onto the back seat before Axel could finish. He leaned forward and kissed Axel's cheek quickly. "I'd love to go." Axel nodded and turned away with a slight blush pressed on his cheeks. He tore off onto the city streets once Roxas had put on his helmet and pulled down the dark shade, wrapping his arms around Axel's stomach.  
"Wow. This place is so… elegant. I don't think I'm dressed properly for something like this." Roxas looked down at his clothes that were just black jeans and a white T-shirt with a black jacket over it. Too casual for a place with fancy wine glasses and candle lit tables in his opinion.  
"Don't worry you look great." Axel assured him.  
"You really think so?" Roxas shifted his feet as he felt Axel's gaze. It was his first time ever going out on a, well hoped it was date. In fact it was his first time going out with someone. So you could come to the conclusion that Roxas had a right to be nervous.  
"Yeah… I think you're beautiful."  
Roxas gulped. Never had he heard someone say anything like that to him in such a soothing voice. His mother had told him tons of times, but it always came out in a way that left Roxas screaming and running to his room out of complete embarrassment.  
Only a couples minutes and they were escorted to a booth table that had two small menus and a single white candle in the center. They both sat down on opposite ends of the table. Axel, looking amusing and Roxas looking around nervously trying to think of something to say, but without trying to do or say something completely stupid in the means that would end in self destruction or that time and space would freeze and the date would never end satisfactory.  
"So Roxas," Axel began with a slight pause to make sure Roxas looked at him in the eyes. "I've been thinking and I've decided to come out. I mean… those guys we got caught up with that day used me being gay as an excuse to hurt you. I don't want that… and if I had to decide over you getting hurt or letting my secret out, I'd let it. To see you hurt is the last thing I want Roxas." Axel slid his hand over Roxas's fist that clenched harder from the contact.  
Roxas sat in shock as Axel looked at him so seriously. His mind struggled to connect all his thoughts and emotions.  
"Roxas, there's something I want to tell you…well, ask you really." Axel was now the one to look shy.  
"Yeah, what is it?" Roxas waited for the words he hoped for.  
"Well, I was wondering if you…would… um…"  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Strife. And oh! Axel sweetie you're here too. Isn't this just wonderful?"  
Axel narrowed his eyes as he turned around to find the Hawked faced girl, Larxene behind him. She was wearing a fancy red dress that had a long slit on the side. "What are you doing here?" Axel tried to sound as calm as possible.  
"Oh my father was taking me out to celebrate for getting my license. I guess this means I can take you to all sorts of places now Axey." Larxene smirked as she saw the sad look on Roxas's face. But of course the trouble was only just getting started.  
"Sorry, but I've got my own ride and its pretty sweet. I think I'll stay with that thanks." Axel gave an apologetic look to Roxas.  
"Oh, well that's fine, anyway the real reason I came was to talk to Roxas. You don't mind if I steal him for a moment do you?" Roxas shook. He didn't want to go with this girl. Something was gnawing at him not to leave Axel's side, but if he didn't, she would never leave them alone, and Axel would have went through all the trouble to take him out for nothing.  
"Um, Larxene, sorry, but Roxas and I are kind of in the middle of something here…" Axel glared. He knew what Larxene was up to. The girl was always around him enough for him to know exactly what she was planning.  
"But it's so important. Please?"  
"Larxene look…"  
"I don't mind Axel… I'll go and see what's up." Roxas got up slowly out of his seat.  
Larxene grinned. "Well, I guess we have an answer. Come with me." Larxene walked towards a dark corner in the back. Roxas gave Axel one look of apology and followed.  
Axel gritted his teeth. "Damn it."  
Roxas made his way to the back with Larxene leading him towards the back exit. He paused and wondered if he should go further. The whole situation was stupid. Roxas could avoid everything he was about to encounter, but something just made him keep going further and further into a pit of his own shame. He himself didn't know yet as to why he kept going. Before he stepped out the door and thought to himself, that maybe he was testing his own courage. He would face his own fear. Larxene knew his secret, but those boys knew Axel's and so did Larxene. Axel had given up on holding back. He said so himself that he was now going to expose himself to the open world. If only Roxas could find that strength. Going through the door with Larxene could change everything.  
He went through.  
He waited.  
He stood in the darkness of the back ally alone with this girl. This girl who was the one keeping him down. She was the cause of everything. Well, not everything, but she represented the people that made him repress himself. This is what drove Roxas to come outside. It wasn't courage like he thought. It was fear.  
"Tell me. What do you want?" Roxas look at his feet, doing all he could to keep his breath steady. Breathe in, breathe out. Inhale, exhale.  
"Surprised you haven't even figured it out yet. Boys!" Larxene called into the dark.  
Roxas turned and found a group of boys standing behind him. One of them licked his lips and made a sound that sounded like a growl, but was probably a small laugh. "Wow you'we browt a cutie one Lawx." His speech was drunk.  
"Now now boys, we must restrain ourselves for the time being. I promise you'll get what you want, but only when Roxas gives me an answer I don't like. Alright?" Larxene smiled evilly in Roxas's direction.  
The air suffocated him. His golden locks began to fall flat from the sweat that began to let lose. He didn't want to be scared of anything, but Larxene was just making it harder and more difficult.  
"Now Roxas, if you would be so kind as to leave Axel, I won't tell anyone about your secret. You being a cross dresser will attract attention. I don't think it's the good kind of attention you want either is it? Who knows, some guys may find it way too hot to handle themselves over your little slutty accessories. Just like the ones behind you." Larxene made a snap of her fingers and the boys behind Roxas began to close in.  
Roxas began to panic as he felt his arm being pulled behind his back. He let out a shriek and began to struggle from the boy's grasp. He kicked the boy where it counts and made a dash toward the exit door and hurried inside. He looked in the many directions of the fancy place and found where Axel was sitting with a stern look on his face.  
"Axel!" Roxas said it a bit louder than he wanted getting a few strange looks from several of the other customers. "I-It-Its Larxene."  
Both Axel and Roxas jumped when a loud bang came from the back exit door. A group of masked thugs began to charge through making many people scream and run for the door.  
Roxas shook as he ducked from a flower vase that was aimed for his head. "We need to get out of here!" Axel responded by taking Roxas's hand and running for the front of the restaurant.  
After squeezing through a crowd of panicking strangers, Axel was able to lead Roxas to a safe spot behind another building near an empty dumpster. "The hell was that?" Axel coughed, catching his breath. "Why…why were they running after you?"  
"I- I don't know. I don't want to know!" Roxas looked around, paranoid of his surroundings. It was just like some weird bank robbing movie.  
Axel dragged a hand down his face and exhaled deeply. He knew that Larxene had something to do with it, but this all seemed a bit too weird for her to go this far. There was probably someone else controlling her from behind the scenes. "Ok… look Roxas…" Axel put both hands on Roxas's shoulders, being gentle as possible so he wouldn't scare him. "I need to know what happened so we can call the police or something."  
"I-I can't… there probably watching."  
With a sigh Axel took Roxas in his arms and swayed back and forth. "No one's going to hurt you as long as I'm around alright?"  
Roxas slowly nodded and dug his chin into Axel's chest so he could look up at the red head. He really was a beautiful and strong guy.  
"Roxas…" Axel lowered himself so his face was in level with Roxas. "I never got to ask you."  
Roxas stood still in wonder. He remembered Axel was about to ask something till Larxene came in and spoiled their date. "Yes…" He said softly so Axel could almost barley hear him.  
"Roxas… will you stay with me?" Axel brushed Roxas's hair back carefully like a small girl would with her glass doll.  
Roxas sniffed and made a small noise. He shut his eyes and let his tears fall. He grabbed on Axel's shirt for support and to be close to the person he wanted to be with so badly. He couldn't figure out why he was so happy, he still didn't know all that much about Axel yet, except his biggest secret. Though that was probably what made him feel so close to him. "You-you don't hate me?" Roxas voice quivered.  
"Why would I hate you? You made me feel happy for once in my life. Before you came into it I was just a complete mess and a screw up. Damn it Roxas now you've got me crying." Axel wiped his eyes and did the same with Roxas. "I really like you Roxas."  
"B-but… I ruined it… the date. You probably went through a lot to plan it and I ru-ruined it…"  
"Shh… No need to cry over something so silly. I'm just glad you're safe. You're so precious. Not to mention cute." Axel made a small laugh and hugged Roxas close. "You have nothing to worry about."  
"Ok…" Roxas said still a bit unsure of the whole situation. He really liked Axel, but he still felt a bit insecure if Axel liked him as much as he said he did.  
"Roxas…" Axel parted a bit from Roxas, but still held onto him. "I'm going to kiss you."  
Before Roxas could protest Axel had dropped his arm around the smaller boy's waist and held his hand with his free one. He dipped his head low still embracing him. His lips softly but firmly placed on Roxas's mouth like a puzzle piece that fit perfectly with another one.  
It began to thunder and drops of water poured heavily over them. They stayed like that way even so, kissing each other ever so gently in the rain.


	12. I Can Flash You If I Want Too

I Can Flash You If I Want Too 

Roxas yawned as he sat up in his bed. He felt so tired after last night that he couldn’t quite remember the details well after Axel had kissed him.   
Axel…   
Stretching his arms Roxas plopped back down on his bed. He couldn’t get the kiss out of his mind and he couldn’t stop thinking about Axel. Did Axel really think of him like he said? …the kiss pretty much proved it. Though, at the same time it was hard for him to even picture Axel walking around with his arm looped over his shoulder and giving him quick shy kisses even though it probably would happen since he DID kiss him. Why did Axel care for him anyway he was a boy who wasn’t all that interesting besides the girly side of him, and even then trans were not treated all that kindly. Axel, Mr. Perfect himself falling for a Trans… it just didn’t add up.   
Groaning in irritation Roxas lift the covers over his head. He closed his eyes and flipped over, after doing this his face was buried in some kind of warmth.   
“Nunh…” Whatever Roxas was touching made a strange noise. He slowly opened his eyes.   
“Axel!”   
“W-what!” Axel jumped and fell on his butt on the floor and groaned from the impact.   
So that’s what Roxas forgot about… he let Axel stay the night…. Though it was more like Axel invited himself.   
“What are you doing here in my bed?” Roxas asked slightly irritated, but failed to hide his blushing cheeks that were turning redder to look like bright tomatoes.   
“You let me stay over Roxy!” Axel whined. “I was so tired and I didn’t want to ride home because I would just end up sleeping alone in my house.” He got to his feet and slid back in the bed that he fell out of.  
Roxas crossed his arms and puffed up his cheeks into a pout. “But Axel I don’t remember ever agreeing to that, you’ll get me in trouble…”   
Both boys stopped talking when they heard footsteps coming their way.   
“Shit…” Roxas muttered. If Axel was found he would probably get the death penalty, probably because he never told his parents he was having Axel over.   
“Roxas? Are you awake—”   
The door opened to reveal Cloud, still in his PJ’s. When he saw Axel all snuggled up next to Roxas, the smaller blonde knew he was going to be in for it.   
“Roxas who is this?” Cloud asked through gritting teeth.   
“Umm… well…” How was he going to explain himself? He was dead.   
“Hi I’m Axel.” The red head said smiling in his most charismatic way possible.   
Roxas tried to give Axel a hint, anything that would just make him shut up, but of course Axel would have none of that.   
“Axel?” Cloud narrowed his eyes so they were slits. Not exactly a good sign for Roxas.   
“Yeah, Aerith said I could stay over here since it was storming and she didn’t want me going out in the rain.” Axel made the most innocent smile me could muster and extended his hand. “So you must be Cloud I presume?”   
“Umm… yes.” Cloud took Axel’s hand and gave it a small squeeze before letting it go.   
“It’s really nice to meet you sir.” Axel’s face almost made the room light up.   
Cloud, still trying to keep up his father figure was about to make a comeback when his wife walked up from behind him.   
“Good morning boys!” Aerith went over to the bed and gave both Roxas and Axel a hug. “What would you like for breakfast dears?”   
“Aerith, now isn’t the time to—”   
Aerith turned and gave Cloud a glare before turning back to the boys.   
Roxas took a quick sigh of relief. “Umm, just some toast and juice I guess.”   
“And for you dear?” Aerith turned to face Axel.   
“The same for me.” He answered.   
“Wonderful!” Aerith smiled and turned to the door. “And you sir,” she glared at Cloud. “Are coming with me.” She took Cloud by the ear who yelped and tried his best not to fall down the hallway which they were going.   
“Well that was interesting.” Axel said amused. “Didn’t think I would let your mum know beforehand?”   
Roxas blushed red and hid under his pink covers and made a small groan of embarrassment. How could he be so stupid to think Axel was that kind of guy? Well in truth it could have been possible. It just happened it didn’t turn out that way.   
“You couldn’t have told me beforehand?”  
“Hey, it’s your house, figure it out.” Axel winked sitting up and stretched.   
If only Roxas could understand him a bit better, he could tell what he was thinking. Or maybe he just wasn’t trying hard enough, he had been caught up in his own thoughts that he never really thought about Axel’s. He should try to get to know him a lot more…   
“Axel?”   
“Hmm,” Axel sighed as he slipped off the bed to look for his shirt that was lying around somewhere.   
“So, I’m assuming you’re coming out?”  
Axel turned and stared at the blond boy in front of him. He was quiet at first and took a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess you figured since I asked you to go with me… to homecoming right?”   
Roxas nodded in response. The air was getting tense, not a good sign. “Do you want to talk about it?” If he was ganna get anywhere with Axel it had to start with this, plus he was a bit curious anyway.   
“Umm, I guess…”   
“You sure?” He didn’t want him to feel too uncomfortable.   
Axel sighed and began to explain to Roxas about his mother and how beautiful she was; she had red hair that made her look like the setting sun. “She told me something when I was younger…” He cleared his throat. “You know why the sun sets red? It’s because red always goes the farthest.”   
“That’s really beautiful…” Roxas blushed. “Your mom sounds like she was a wonderful person; I wish I could have met her.”   
“Yeah… she was.” Axel stared at his feet for a while. Roxas looked around his room of pink and sighed before lying back down on his back.   
A bit later Axel began to proceed in telling Roxas his life’s story. He talked about when she died, how his dad reacted to him being gay and it all just fell out like beads do when you drop a plastic bag of them on the ground with the bag completely wide open. Axel felt a bit lighter and his chest puffed out a bit when he realized just how much he held in. He even told Roxas about how he didn’t really want the life he had now, it was too fake and he hated every second of it, at least till their teacher signed them up for that project, which had gone well with getting a passing grade, A+ in fact. His loneliness started to disappear a little at a time.   
“I guess, being with you has just made me realize that, I shouldn’t be afraid because there will be people out there who will accept me. I bet I could also go for what I want in life… hey, you help out with organizing homecoming how bout I help out?”   
Roxas was a bit surprised, but said he could none the less. “It sounds like fun.”   
Axel nodded.   
“Well um, I guess I should get dressed.” Roxas got up and headed to his dresser and pulled out a plain white t-shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans along with his checkered sneakers. He took a quick glance into the mirror and examined his face and frowned. Roxas blinked and then began to slowly take off his night shirt.   
“Uh… Roxas?” Axel sounded a bit panicked.   
“W-what’s wrong Axel?” Roxas stepped over closer to Axel in wonder of what was worrying the other boy.   
“You’re… shirt.” Axel muttered.   
Roxas only gave his a puzzled look of innocence that only made Axel turn even redder. He covered his face with one of his hands. Roxas shrugged and walked back over to his dresser. He proceeded to untie the drawstrings of his pink pajama bottoms. They slowly slid to the ground with a soft thump. He stepped out of them, only in his boxers.   
Axel groaned and buried his face in a pillow which seemed like his best option. It wasn’t that he was too embarrassed to have a boy change in front of him, he did that all the time when getting ready for a game, it was really just Roxas that did. His body was just too nice, but Axel felt like a pervert if he kept staring even for a second. “Roxas…”   
“What is it?” The blond looked over his shoulder and smiled at the blushing red head.   
“Nothing… never mind.” Ugh! He couldn’t tell him to hurry up, he would probably embarrass him too, then they would both be and it would just end awkwardly.   
“Axel are you sure your alright?” Roxas sighed and walked to Axel’s side and sat down on the bed, didn’t exactly help with the red head’s comfort.   
“I-I’m fine.”  
“You sure, your face is all red.” Roxas giggled and leaned into Axel’s side.   
Axel turned to face Roxas and gulped. The blonde’s body had that slim look, with a bit of a curve in the legs, and Axel, boy did he like legs. Roxas’s chest wasn’t too bad either, it wasn’t bulky and wasn’t too skinny so that you could see his ribs. “Is it?” Axel asked getting a giggle in response.   
“Axel, are you shy?” Roxas asked in a whisper, knowing that it would send Axel chills. It was funny to see Axel shy once in a while, it was cute. Roxas sniffed, he could smell the scent of burned leaves coming off of Axel. It reminded him of an autumn evening, with a setting sun and warm colored leaves falling to the ground as winter came closer, so much orange, yellow, and red. Roxas thought he would like the red the most.   
The bed creaked as Axel fixed his position a bit better. He cleared his throat and gave a long soft sigh. “It feels calm you know.”   
“Hmm?” Roxas looked puzzled again at Axel.   
“You know… sitting here with you beside me with no one bothering us… as boyfriends I guess.”   
There was that word. It was now Roxas’s turn to blush as he heard it. He watched the older boy in amazement. He was becoming stronger and more confident every day; Roxas wished he could build up his confidence too. He was too scared though. Roxas couldn’t help but think that everyone would start to hate him… what if Axel would leave him if he came out.   
“Roxas are you ok?”   
“Huh?”   
“You’re shaking…”   
He didn’t notice… did he feel that insecure? Roxas got up and made a fake laugh which only made Axel frown a little. “Well I should get dressed now huh?” Roxas turned grabbing his clothes and was about to leave the room entirely. He didn’t want Axel to see him cry, he wanted to look strong.   
“Don’t even think it…” Axel reached out and pulled Roxas back, his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Don’t ever think that…” Axel pulled Roxas backwards into an embrace and rocked him slowly.   
Roxas sighed and nuzzled into Axel’s chest. “Ok.” 

 

The streets were bare. The air was cold. Roxas couldn’t ask for more as he walked alongside Axel. The leaves in the trees blended right into Axel’s hair. However Roxas had never before had a boyfriend, Axel would be the first, so holding hands out in public was a bit overwhelming. Axel wanted to though, so Roxas let him and leaned into his side and they walked down the concrete pathway.   
“I really like this…” Axel said soundly.   
“I like it too.” Roxas squeezed Axel’s hand and blushed.   
An old couple passed by, their hands interlocked. Axel nodded his head towards them; they smiled in return until they saw his hand interlocked with the smaller boy’s. They showed a look of disgust before passing them.   
“Don’t worry; older people do that all the time, most of them anyway.” Roxas nudged Axel and got a small laugh out of him.   
“It’s nice though.” Axel squeezed Roxas’s hand. “I feel like I can do anything now.”   
Roxas smiled and let go of Axel. He skipped down the side walk a bit further and pointed to where some crossroads were. The other side of the streets had several shops and small restaurants/cafés. “Wanna go wander a bit?”   
Axel laughed a bit. “That sounds good.”


	13. Daddy’s Little Girl

Daddy’s Little Girl  
The café was not empty, but not really crowded either; just the right amount of customers. It had several colorful furniture and small tables’ people could sit in while they had small chat, did lap-top computer work, or ate a snack. The lights on the ceiling hung from the thin metallic like stems that made a dim light. Though some tables have lamps for people who wanted to read. The smell of cinnamon rolls and other baked goods made the air refreshing. It was a place of cozy heaven to put it in other words.   
Axel led Roxas to a spot in one of the corners of the café. It had a small round table with two orange leather chairs on either side next to a large window. A lamp sat still and lit on the table giving off some warmth.   
Roxas took a seat and crossed his legs, settling his elbows on the table so he could get a betting look at the red head when he sat down on the opposite side of the table. “I think I can get used to this.”   
“Me too.” Axel Smirked, the dull light beaming on his face. “Hey Roxas, you don’t mind me asking a personal question do you?”   
“Not at all.” Roxas smiled, his chin resting in his right palm.   
“Don’t you ever want to come out to everyone?”   
“Well haven’t we already? We were just walking here holding hands.”   
“That… that’s not what I mean. I mean you. Coming out, as in, you’re a transvestite.”   
“Axel, I really don’t want to talk about this right now…”   
“Roxas, I just think that maybe you’d be happier…”   
“I am happy!” It came out as a snap, drawing a few eyes in their direction. Roxas saw this and tilted his head down. “Sorry…”   
“No… I am. I shouldn’t have pressured you.”   
“Axel… I’m just not as strong as you are…”   
“You are though… you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”   
“Don’t lie to me… you know I’m too scared…”   
Axel played with his thumbs awkwardly. Roxas was right in a way, he was scared, but he didn’t want to think that he wasn’t strong. “Maybe your right, you are scared, but… you’re still with me, even after all the trouble you’re going through by doing that…”   
Roxas suppress a sigh. Axel didn’t seem like he would understand, or maybe he was being reasonable while he was not. Nothing was making much since anymore.   
They sat in silence and only ordered some water, not really feeling hungry anymore. Everything seemed to be going downhill from there, nothing but gloom and awkwardness. They were even silent as they walked back, not saying a word. As they reached the porch, Roxas nodded at Axel, opening the door and about to step inside.   
“Roxas…”   
Roxas turned and faced Axel, who was looking at the ground like a lost puppy or maybe a kicked one. “Yes?”   
“Don’t I get a good bye kiss?” Axel wiggled his eyebrows as if he were a prank playing jester. Roxas glared and made a small growl, but at the point that it was almost playful.   
“You’ll sure get a kick in the balls if you try anything funny,” Roxas snorted.   
“Aw, how cute.”   
“I mean it! Nothing… overly touchy…”   
Axel smirked and snaked his arms around Roxas’s waist. “Then how’s this?” Axel kissed the blonde’s cheek.   
“You’re weird.” Roxas crossed his arms and made a pout.   
“Oh, there’s more where that came from,” Axel licked Roxas on his jaw line which made Roxas let out an “eep!” in response. Axel made his way down his neck, making small kisses. When he saw how red Roxas was turning, he stopped and grinned at his work. “You don’t seem to mind it that much, Roxy.”   
“S…shut up!”   
Axel laughed, and leaned to give Roxas a kiss over his pink lips before parting. “Silly. See yeah Roxas!” Axel waved and ran over to his ride and drove out of the drive way.   
“Pervert…” Roxas muttered, but not without his mouth going up wide in the process. 

 

The TV was on in the dark bedroom, Roxas watched it lazily not really in the mood. He felt like a sack of potatoes. Though, he couldn’t get the image of Axel out of his head, his warm tongue going over his neck, the twinkle in his eyes when he saw him blush, the feeling of his lips on his own, and his hands, if only they would slip down a bit more… Blah! Why couldn’t he get those thoughts out! The thoughts he kept thinking were so dirty! Roxas groaned (more like moaned) and buried his head into his pink fluffy pillow that had a picture of Pinky Pie in the center.   
“Why can’t I be like you Pinky? All care free and not a dirty thought in your mind at all… Fucking god I’m talking to a pillow.” Roxas sighed.   
A sudden knock was at the door. Roxas sat up and yawned, stretching his arms. “Roxas. It’s dad.”   
“Come in.” Roxas slumped over so that he didn’t have to face him. He heard the door open slightly with light footsteps coming towards him cautiously. “What do you want?”   
“Roxas, there’s something we really need to talk about…” Cloud whispered.   
“Then tell me.”   
“Not now, but maybe tomorrow we could go out somewhere and discuss about… things.”   
Roxas nodded, not really paying much attention. Would his dad ever just say what he wanted to say? Was it too much to ask? Roxas wanted to understand.  
“Roxas?”   
“What?”   
“Good night.” Cloud left the room with Roxas in the dark and the running TV. 

 

Axel could have gone home, but Demyx’s place sounded better. Demyx had moved out early, so he had his own apartment, but both of his parents still kept tabs on him. Axel thought he was lucky; at least he didn’t have to stay alone in a big empty house, which sucked by the way.   
Axel yawned as he sat up on the couch he was laying on. Not as comfy as his bed, but not too bad.   
“Morning, Sunshine!” Demyx sang as he waltzed into the living room, holding a plate of blueberry pancakes. “Want some?”   
Axel stared at the stack licking his lips, eyes following the plate of flapjacks as Demyx walked over to sit next to him. “Sound’s great.”   
“You seem… disturbed?” Demyx took a fork and took a big bight of the sweet pancakes.   
Axel took one a bit into it. He thought for a moment before answering. “Sort of, Roxas is just so… I don’t know, lonely?”   
Demyx blink. “…Must be your imagination.”   
“You sure, because it seems like you’re holding back a lot of information.”   
“Maybe, I wasn’t expecting to get this kind of reaction from you.”   
“What reaction?”   
Demyx was silent.   
Axel sighed. Demyx seemed to be out of it for a while, ever since he told Axel about Roxas… it was strange though. Demyx was so happy he found a way to cheer up the both of them, get them out of their comfort zones, but now Demyx acted as though he regretted all of it, it didn’t make a loop of since. “Mind telling me what’s been with you?”   
“You know Axel speaking of information, you hold a lot from Roxas as well… maybe this just means you two aren’t as well together as you thought?”   
“How can you say that so easily?”   
“Because, I’m your cousin Axel and Roxas is my best friend, I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”   
“I’m going for a walk…”   
“Fine by me, just don’t strain your face, from this angel you look very upset.”   
“That’s because I am.” Axel walked out the door, not caring if he closed it or not as he walk out. 

 

Roxas held his head up with the palm of his hand, elbow balanced on the side of the passenger window in his dad’s car. His nose stuck up in the air and he made a few small grunting noises. Truthfully, he felt as though the world was going to judge him. He was wearing a short jean skirt, a white tank top with ruffles around the collar, a black choker, pick sparkly lip gloss with a tad bit of brown lipstick to bring out the color of his cheeks more, and black heels, the kind with straps, the back having to be tide into a bow. He made sure to put on the blonde wig the Axel and Demyx made him wear the last time they went out on their little adventure. He made to put in a black bow and style it up a bit or else it just wouldn’t work. Ugh, he would look so ridicules if he didn’t have all the accessories, which he did, he always did.   
The fact was, Roxas was getting a bit tired of not dressing up in such fashion, but there was in fact another reason. He was going to spend a day with his dear old dad. Roxas didn’t want to be seen with him or in fact make his dad feel like he had a son, so, here came his opportunity to make his dad feel like complete trash. He was human after all; he knew he was being pretty horrible, but it was such fun to see Cloud squirm from discomfort.   
“I had no idea you… liked this kind of thing.” Cloud spoke.   
“Well, if you’ve been around enough, you might have noticed my big huge My Little Pony and Hello Kitty collection I have on my shelf wall, which also happens to be pink.” Roxas snorted and kept his focus outside his window.   
“I might have noticed a bit earlier if there wasn’t a guy that you happened to be snuggling, in your bed.   
“Mom said he could stay didn’t she? What did you want her to do, kick him out when all he has to ride on is a motorcycle? Plus it was cold, it’s not like we did it.”  
Cloud gulped and kept his gaze straight ahead. He had no problem with the girl stuff Roxas was wearing or his homosexuality at all truthfully; it just came as a surprise, and also a bit of a reminder of what he wanted to speak to Roxas about.   
“So what is the reason you dragged me out here?” Roxas still kept his eyes away from Cloud like he was ashamed to have him as his father.   
Cloud pulled the car over to the small diner. “I’ll tell you when were inside.” He murmured.   
Roxas hopped out of the car and inside the shop, making sure to sway his hips a little to make it not so obvious that he was a boy.   
Cloud picked out a table all the way in the back away from the rest of the social people that existed.   
“You ready to say something now?” Roxas twirled the straw that was in his ice-tea he had ordered. The way the liquid spun with the little ice cubes was a lot more interesting.   
“Roxas, your mother and I are getting a divorce.”   
“Huh?” Ok, maybe that was a bit of a surprise. “A… divorce?”   
“Hmm? Was it that big of a surprise Roxas? Your right, I wasn’t around often, which is part of it.”   
“Dad… I know you weren’t around often, but…a divorce?! Why now? Right when I thought you were finally ganna be here for awhile and you’re telling me you’re getting a divorce with mom?”   
“Roxas, the marriage… it wasn’t working. It never could have in the first place.”   
“I don’t understand dad… and… and where am I ganna fit in all this?”   
“That’s what your mother and I are talking about. I’m moving out of the city, your mother hasn’t yet come to terms whether she is or not yet. If you’re lucky she may decide to move close to where I am and we can all still see each other.”  
“Dad… why is this all happening? I thought you loved each other.”   
“We do Roxas, just not in that way…”   
“Then why at all?!”   
“It was arranged Roxas, we couldn’t do anything even if we wanted to, we were young. We would have done it earlier, but Aerith wanted to have a child so you came along and we thought it best to do it when you were older, when you could take better care of yourself…”   
“You should have told me… you should have told me dad.” Roxas felt himself on the verge of tears. “Where were you then all those time then? Were you trying to get away from mom and me? Did you find me disgusting, because I …” Roxas sniffed to afraid to say the rest.   
Cloud sighed and took his son’s hands in his protectively. “No, and don’t ever think that way Roxas, the reason I was never around was because I was with someone…”   
“Oh…” Well that was to be expected, Roxas was surprised and a bit upset, but he realized that the marriage his father and mother had was indeed a fake one to begin with, not one they wanted. So… was this person he was seeing, were they his true lover or something.   
“He’s my partner.”   
“Wait… so it’s someone you work with.”   
“Yes, but that’s not what I mean…”   
“So you mean…”   
“Yes Roxas. I’m gay and so is your mother, that’s why we were arranged in the first place… are parents didn’t want us to be tainted, or so they called it.”   
Roxas took his time to sink it all in. He was still mad at his father, but at the same time he had a better understanding of him now, to even try and stay in his relationship for so long even was even surprising, and a bit brave he had to admit. “Sorry I acted so uptight around you…”   
Cloud only smiled and ruffled up the boy’s blonde hair (or wig). “You’re still my daughter so I hope we can spend more time together.”   
“Daughter? Hmm…” Wow. His dad called him daughter… Roxas thought maybe this could work out, besides the whole moving thing…  
Moving.   
He completely forgot… Demyx and Axel. He couldn’t just leave those two. Demyx was his best friend and Axel his boyfriend, who just started coming out! No… no way was he leaving.   
“Do I have to move…?”   
Cloud frowned, understanding the circumstances. “Let’s try to clear our minds a bit before figuring things out right now.”   
Roxas nodded. When his dad walked them to the car though, he couldn’t help but smile a bit.


	14. Chocoholic

Chocoholic   
Aerith had gotten a call on the phone from some of the family on Cloud’s side. Apparently Sora, Riku, and Ventus were going to be stopping by for a visit the next week. She always loved the three, they got along with Roxas really well and from her view, she thought Roxas was a bit on the lonely side so some company seemed to be a good thing. According to Sora, he and Riku were going to be helping Ventus with some work he had up in the area and were wondering if Roxas would be able to help out. When Aerith asked what it was Sora’s response was “A surprise that will blow your socks off!” before he hung up.   
Aerith only laughed and called Roxas down stairs. She was surprised to see him going around in girl’s clothing so openly in the house when his father was home. She knew that the two were at better terms but she didn’t think it would have this big of an effect on Roxas, she giggled. “That’s a nice dress.”   
“You like? Dad got it before we came home today.”   
Wow, more surprises. “Well it’s lovely. I’m just glad the both of you are getting along.” Aerith gazed at the blue fabric that matching Roxas’s eyes. It had a bit of white lace along the collar and sleeves. A black string was tied into a bow in the center of the collar. Roxas wore some white flats to go with the dress.   
“Me too! So, umm… what did you call me down for?”   
“Oh, Sora called saying that he, Riku, and Ventus are going to be here for a while to do some kind of job, which is a little strange since they’re in the middle of school and Ventus is focusing on college.  
“Really? What kind of job?”   
“Not sure. Said it was a surprise, because your ganna help out.”   
“Aww! Come on. Why would anyone want to keep work a secret?”   
Aerith shrugged and hopelessly contained her laughter.   
Roxas, before heading back upstairs, remembered that he wanted to ask his mother something, ever since his talk with Cloud. “Hey, mom?”   
“Hmm?” Aerith mumbled as she concentrated on going through some papers that were on the kitchen counter top.   
“Who do you love. Do you have someone?”   
Aerith looked up to see her son’s face. She was slightly worried, but realized the only reason he asked was only out of curiosity. “Hea. Yes, I do. Her names Tifa, she lives around here, working as a therapist. She moved here because I didn’t want to leave you alone and she had nothing else to lose so… well I guess you know why I’m out longer on Wednesday nights.”   
“Ok seriously, I don’t think I want that image in my head.” Roxas stepped back, not wanting to think about his mom doing… things.   
“Oh I was only joking Roxas!” The phone rang and Aerith hopped towards Roxas with a beaming smile. “For you!”   
Roxas nodded a thanks and took the phone up stairs. “Hello?”   
“Hey, Roxas!” Demyx chirped over the phone.   
“Demyx? Oh hey!” Seriously, Roxas hoped it would be Axel, but Demyx was his friend so he smiled anyway. “What’s up?”   
“Umm… Well I was thinking we could hang out or something?” Demyx stammered.   
Roxas was silent for a moment. Demyx’s voice never wavered before, at least not to him; could have been his imagination. Though, the more he thought about it, Demyx had been acting odd for a while, he just couldn’t pin point when it all started.   
“Well, I was ganna go out and hang with my dad for a bit and he did just get back…”   
“Your dad? Why are you doing that? I thought that you two were at each other’s throats or something.”   
Leave it up to Demyx to exaggerate. “Demyx it wasn’t really like that.” Roxas said slightly annoyed. “I just didn’t get some things is all, but now I do and everything right now is fine. I’m perfectly happy to be around him… he’s my dad.”   
Roxas waited for Demyx to respond but all he got was silence.   
“Demyx?”   
Roxas listened, but when he heard little beeps he realized the line went dead. Roxas sighed and shook his head. He dialed the number of his friend and waited for the line to pick up, but it just went straight to voice mail. Roxas made a grunt and took the phone back down to the kitchen and hung it up on its stand. He looked over and saw his mom chopping up some carrots and putting them into a bowl of creamy tan substance, which smelled a lot like cake mix. He sure hoped it was carrot cake.   
“Roxas, can you be a dear and fetch your father?”   
Roxas nodded his head and went to the back room where he saw his dad talking on his cell phone. He peeked from behind the door frame.   
“Yeah… yes…coming? Coming here?! R…really? Yes. Roxas will have time I think, umm… well that is…”   
The younger blond cocked his head at the mention of his name. Whoever was on the other line was making his dad blush ferociously and got him to start tapping his right foot impatiently.   
“Yes… yes of course. I…” There was a slight pause and Roxas blushed when he heard the next words come out of his father’s mouth. “I love you too.”   
So cute, the smaller blond thought.   
When Cloud hung up the phone he turned his rolling chair and jumped slightly at the sight of his son… err… daughter? “Roxas! I didn’t see you there.”   
“Uh… sorry. I didn’t interrupt anything did I?”   
“No! No. Not at all… um what is it?”   
“Mom just wanted me to get you is all.”   
“Oh. Ok, tell her I’ll be there in just a minute after I get these papers together.” Cloud ushered Roxas to go on out of his office with his left hand while the other took hold of a mug of coffee taking a sip.   
“Ok. So… was that your lover?”   
Cloud almost choked at the mention of lover , almost spitting his coffee.   
“I’ll take that as a yes? Ok, see yeah in a bit!” Roxas couldn’t suppress the giggles that came from his lips as he skipped to his mother and then up to his room where he made a long jump and then landed with a large bounce on his hello kitty bed.   
“Axel…” Roxas sighed. He didn’t know why he mentioned the taller boy’s name at that moment, but he wanted to see him so badly. For the first time, even if it meant having to face the bitch Larxene, he wanted school to start soon. 

 

It finally did. School that is.   
Roxas walked down the halls and looked at the other students who were walking around and standing in the middle of the hallway talking to their group of friends. One of those groups was the populars. Larxene was of course, the center of attention, but there was something else, usually Axel would be around them too, but he was nowhere in sight. Roxas “hum’d” and kept walking to the direction of his locker where he saw Demyx standing with his usual bright smile plastered on him.   
“Heyyyy!” The tall blond said enthusiastically.   
Roxas waved and opened his locker. He grabbed one of his notebooks and noticed a red envelope fall out. When he picked it up, Demyx grabbed it out of his hands.   
“Hey, give it!”   
“Come on Roxas what is it?”   
“I don’t know, just give it.” Roxas was reaching for the red folded paper, but Demyx’s long arms were out of his reach. He gave up and crossed his arms with a pout.   
Demyx laughed, but stopped when he saw a pair of snake venom green eyes and blond hair. “Larxene, what are you…” before he could finish the red envelope was swiped out of his hand and opened.   
“Well Roxas, I didn’t realize you were such a player.”   
“Huh?” Both of Roxas and Demyx said.   
“What are you?...” Larxene put a finger on Roxas’s mouth to shush him.   
“Dear Demyx,  
I have forever watched you, and at first I didn’t realize it, but now I know I am in complete love. You probably wouldn’t think of me as such, maybe just a friend, but these feelings I can’t seem to hold back. Whenever you walk past me I can’t help but blush. I just hope that one day, I’ll have the guts to come out to you personally.  
From,  
Anonymous”   
Roxas rolled his eyes when he noticed Larxene’s smirk rise even further. “It could be anyone, plus Demyx hangs around my locker all the time, whoever it is could have mistakenly put it in mine.”   
Demyx looked at the paper, and grabbed it back, he ignored Larxene’s protests. “Wow… it really does say all that.” He blushed, running a hand through his hair.   
Roxas nodded and proceeded to go through his locker. “Huh?” Roxas pulled out a small red box that was in the shape of a heart. “This must be from the same person.”   
“Hmm.” Demyx took the box and saw a name written in cursive. “Nooo… I think this one’s for you.” He handed the box back.   
“For me? But who would?...” Larxene rolled her eyes and walked off somewhere. The small blond was grateful for that, but he couldn’t think of anyone who would give him a gift like this one. Roxas paused and looked all over the box, the thought of Axel giving him chocolate made him excited, but he couldn’t find a name anywhere except his own. “It doesn’t say who it’s from…”   
“Well it looks like we both got our hands full with lovey-dovey-chick-flick-bananas.”   
“Bananas?”   
“Yep. Bananas.”   
Roxas rolled his eyes then closed his locker and walked off to class. 

 

Science, Roxas loved the class. Not really because of the subject, but Axel was there and it was this class that he was able to get closer to Axel because of that project they were assigned. Which they got an A on by the way.   
Roxas sighed. He looked all over the room, but Axel was nowhere to be found. It was a bit weird. Before they started to hang around each other, Roxas would notice little things about Axel, like how before he raised his hand in class he would hesitate, or when he walked his hips swayed a bit because of how slim he was, or the fact that he always arrived in science class before he did with his books on his lab table ready to go.   
But not today.   
Roxas walked over to his seat and took out his books before slumping a bit in his chair. One by one, students took their seats and looked to the board for their day’s assignments. Everyone, but Axel who wasn’t even in the room.   
The hell? He was just fine the other day! Roxas groaned and laid his forehead on the edge of the table with a grunt. He probably got sick or something.

Whatever. He’d get better soon then Roxas could have all the time he wanted with him.


	15. Silence

Silence

It had been two weeks, two freaking weeks since Roxas had seen Axel. The hell?! Roxas began to worry slightly, but tried his hardest to find and think of reasons that Axel hadn’t come to school or answered his phone calls or his cousin Demyx’s for that matter. Something was off, but Roxas didn’t want to think of the worse. He sighed as he landed on his pink bed with a plop. He prayed to God that everything was alright. His throat tightened making it sore.   
Don’t you dare start crying Roxy! Roxas kept telling himself inside his head. God why did he have to be such a girl…? Oh… right.   
Roxas didn’t want to go to school, he just wanted to sleep and try not to think of bad things, but of course his mom wouldn’t have any of that. His dad had left to go see his lover, probably to talk about their upcoming futures. Ok so Roxas did have to smile at the thought. He was going to have two dads and two moms… just wow, one big complicated, but happy family. Not to mention Axel who he would love to add to the list if he “ever found out where the hell he is!” Roxas groaned, mentally slapping himself.   
The digital clock was lit so it blinked the time suggesting that Roxas should move his butt to school. He got up and pulled on some black skinny jeans and a light blue sleeveless turtle neck with black stripes. He went with a unisexual look since he was still too afraid to go in girl’s clothes at school… which made him wonder if Larxene was ever going to tell anyone, so far so good nothing changed yet.   
With a sigh, Roxas grabbed his things and headed out the door. He wondered if Demyx was busy after school, maybe they could go over to Axel’s place and see what’s up. Though he got the feeling Axel didn’t want to talk to anyone… even him. Roxas felt a pain in his stomach from the thought. These were the most hurtful weeks he had ever felt…   
School went the same way as it always did. Class after class, book after book, it felt like a million years had passed and Roxas hated the feeling. He just wanted to feel free from the uncomfortable pit.   
“Hey Roxas.”   
Roxas jumped at the sudden greeting. He looked up at the person in front of him. He was small and had a dark blue-gray hair that over lapped his right eye. The eye that did show was the same color as his hair. He wore a black and steel blue striped shirt with a skull out line on it. He also wore a pair of black skinny jeans with a few chains that gripped his hips snuggly. He reminded Roxas of a shy kitten, who acted as though he didn’t care, but did.   
“Hi, Zexion. Umm, is there something you need?” Roxas watch Zexion shift uneasily on his feet like he wanted to ask something, but couldn’t find the words, which was unusual for this known bookworm who had the biggest vocabulary imbedded into his brain.   
“Umm, I just wanted to see if you were ok.”   
Roxas was a little surprised.   
“I mean, Axel hasn’t been here for about two weeks so I thought that you were a bit upset. I- I don’t mean to sound like I’m prying into anything. I was just wondering is all.”  
“You mean you know that Axel and I are…” He wasn’t about to say boyfriends, because he couldn’t tell if they were together or if they were just dating… or maybe Axel really was just playing with him like Larxene had said. Ugh! Bad Roxy, don’t think like that!   
“Well, I mean… you two seem really close and all so I figured that maybe…uh. Shit. I’m sorry, I must sound really rude right now. I’m really, really sorry.” Zexion took a step back looking down at his fidgeting feet.   
“Your fine, I was just surprised… and thank you. Just… don’t tell anyone, I think Axel would like to come out on his own.”   
“Of course! Umm, yeah. Well, see you!” Zexion waved his hand and took off down the hall way leaving Roxas alone with his locker.   
Well that was weird. Roxas thought before shutting his locker door closed. Thankfully, he felt that Zexion wasn’t going to say anything which made him sigh in relief.   
Roxas looked up at the clock that was up on the opposite wall in the hallway. He frowned when he realized he only had two minutes left to get to class. The school never gave them enough time. It was aggravating enough without knowing where Axel was. Couldn’t he at least pick up his phone once?   
Maybe he was just being over protective, possibly from the slight paranoia that was creeping up from Larxene knowing his secret. Even so, Roxas still worried, but hopefully Axel was alright and dandy.   
After school, Roxas helped out with the homecoming preparations. He talked with Demyx and asked if Axel had answered any of his calls. He still hadn’t in the end. It was slowly tugging Roxas uncomfortably in the gut. Something wasn’t right. And Roxas wanted to get to the bottom of it… he just had to figure out how. Calling by phone was out of the question. He would have to figure it out later though; he was too tired to think straight.   
When Roxas had finally reached home he slumped over to his bed and wined in his bed sheets.   
“Roxas?” The small blond looked up to the door and saw his dad Cloud leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, his face a bit twisted from concern. “You alright?”   
Roxas just stumped his face back down in his pillow with a small wine.   
Cloud sighed and took a few steps over to his son’s bed and sat down on the pink covers and ruffled up Roxas’s hair. “You’ve been looking depressed lately. You mind telling me what’s wrong?”   
For a moment Roxas paused as if wondering if he should talk to his dad or not, but then sat up with his hands resting on his knees. “I miss him, he hasn’t shown up at school for two weeks and hasn’t answered his phone for anyone. I don’t know what’s going on…”   
Cloud took his time to let that settle in. “And by him you mean… Axel.   
Roxas looked at the ground, and gave a slow nod. The floor looked so interesting suddenly. Roxas could feel the tips of his ears burn along with his cheeks. Out of nowhere he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and pull him into a hug. Roxas looked up at Cloud who gave him a knowing look.   
“I’m sure every things fine.” The words only made Roxas worry a bit more when Cloud made a doubtful face. After all, it had been two weeks and no one had heard anything from the red head at all.


	16. Worry

Worry   
Three weeks and no word.   
No word from Axel and no sight of him either. Roxas had been getting fidgety when he sat at his homeroom desk in silence. The world was still going and everyone else was still living their lives, but even so the air in the school building was becoming thick. No one needed to be told once that they were afraid something bad happened to Axel, Roxas could even tell that Larxene was even showing her nervousness with having more fits she had with some of the students at a lower social level which was even more than usual. Roxas, thinking about that, twirled his pen between his fingers restlessly. His eyes concentrated on the black board in front of him as other students gathered inside and started rummaging through their book bags searching for their class supplies. Demyx, who was sitting next to him, watched his blond friend with concern.   
“Yo, Roxas are you in there? Helloooo!”   
Roxas jump out of his daydream self and looked over at Demyx who was practically in his face. “Sorry.” He murmured before laying his face flat on his desk. He felt a headache coming.   
Demyx blinked and heaved out a sigh before ruffling up Roxas’s hair. “You know you can talk to me right?” He said sounding a bit hurt.   
Roxas’s cheeks tinted pink from the surprisingly affectionate touch his friend gave him. His hands were still running through his hair too which only heightened his embarrassment. He had been so worried about Axel himself that he didn’t even think about what Demyx was feeling who was Axel’s cousin, which made him feel some guilt. “Sorry.” He repeated only getting a chuckle from Demyx who took his hand away from the smaller blonde’s hair.   
“Don’t be. I’m worried for him too, but were just ganna have to trust that he’s fine, I’m more worried about you right now with all your moping you’re having.” Demyx relaxed in his seat with his arms put up behind his head.   
Roxas glanced at Demyx. He had been acting strange for a while and Roxas wanted to ask him about it, but he wasn’t sure he knew how. A feeling in his gut told him to just leave it, but another part said if he didn’t he would end up regretting it later.   
“You know… I’m kind of jealous.” Demyx stared straight ahead not even taking a look up at Roxas who was about to ask him what he was talking about, but the bell rang and the teacher told the class to take out their books and homework from the day before.   
Roxas took out his book and scrolled through the pages that gave no interest to him. Why worry about school when he should be concerned with Axel? Is what he wanted to yell out, but went against it since it would only give him strange looks. Eyes glued to the board, Roxas tried desperately to focus on something else entirely. The teacher was going on and on about something to do with the quadratic formula and functional square boxes making Roxas forget about Axel for a while since the only use in this type of mathematics was their ability to make you fall asleep. It was working well since Roxas was nodding off through half the teacher’s lecture. No one cares about your love for math Saix sensei!   
All the sudden there was a knock on the door and Roxas woke up from his napping. He looked around and let his eyes adjust and saw his teacher move across the room to open the door. When he did he jumped in surprise and his voice wavered when he said “P-please come in.” He stepped out of the way and let in the person at the door.   
Roxas looked up and thought he was dreaming. He had to rub his eyes and pinch himself when he saw him.   
“Axel.” Roxas breathed.   
It really was Axel, except this time his long face with his tear drop tattoos had a long scrap going across his nose with a Band-Aid on top of it. He even wore a black long sleeve turtleneck even though it was a lot warmer outside. Each of his hands were covered in long pieces of gauze.   
“Sorry I haven’t been in class for a long while, some personal stuff came up and I had to take care of some family matters.” He told the teacher politely who nodded slowly, giving a once over the bandages on Axel’s hands.   
“Well… take a seat then.” Saix said softly, which was unusual since he was always yelling or conversing with students with a strict tone. “We’re on page 142 in the textbook, so please follow along with the rest of the class.”   
“Yes sir.” Axel nodded and headed towards a seat in the back away from the rest of the class, not even giving Roxas or Demyx a glance in their direction.   
When Axel sat down in the empty seat in the back, Roxas turned and gave him a small smile. He waited for Axel to return it, but instead Axel nodded and looked down at his textbook in blankness. Roxas frowned and felt a bit hurt at the gesture. He turned around to face the board and he so badly wanted to fall asleep right there. A long deep sleep where he could have happy dreams and forget the nightmares that were in reality. 

 

Roxas found himself back at home and leaned against the inside of the front door. He smelled fresh baked brownies and some cantaloupe that Aerith was fixing on the kitchen counter. Any other day he would be begging on the ground to have several slices of each, but today just made him lose his appetite, even if there were fresh homemade brownies. He threw his backpack over his shoulder, seeing as he came in the house it had slumped to the floor by his side, and made his way to the stairs. He climbed up them and opened the door to his room of rainbows and unicorns. His bed was made and on top of the fluffy pink covers were several boxes with bows on them. He looked at the boxes and saw two notes sticking out. The first one said it was from his dad Cloud who said he got him some new clothes for him to try on. He said that his partner was an expert on fashion and said these were the type of clothes he thought he would be interested. Roxas smiled and wondered who exactly Cloud’s partner was, he asked many times before after Cloud told him the truth, but of course he never got an answer, Cloud said he wanted to make it some sort of “Surprise,” whatever that meant. Roxas wanted to get out of his little depressed mood. He was worried about Axel and he knew something was up with the way he’d been acting. In fact, he could have sworn that Axel was avoiding him like the plague. He was also concerned deeply about the bandages on Axel’s hands and face. Obviously they weren’t caused by just some small accident, but as far as he knew health wise, Axel didn’t seem to be hurting, at least he wasn’t showing it, but Roxas knew better than to trust looks alone and needed to have it all confirmed by Axel himself. If he would let him talk to him that is. But enough of thinking right now. Axel was back and that’s what counted most right now right?   
Roxas took one of the boxes and opened it up to reveal the most amazing thing he had ever seen. It was a black mini jean skirt with a red belt with red ruffles at the end, slightly translucent. Under it was a black top that had such a wide collar that is would show off his shoulders. Going down the center of the torso was a laced up red ribbon that closed the shirt under what he assumed where breast would be if he had any. The top sleeves were thin but they had buckles attached on the rims that connected them to longer sleeves that had cuts in them. It was pretty gothic, but Roxas did love it. If he ever got to meet Cloud’s lover he might just steal him away from his ol’ man! The thought of that, made him giggle.   
Of course… he would rather show it off to Axel than anything.   
Oh, Axel. Roxas couldn’t get him out of his head. He couldn’t put away those images of the bandages out of his mind. Axel looked so helpless in that moment and Roxas was just here, looking at cute clothes like no tomorrow… Ugh! He couldn’t make up his own mind to decide whether or not to worry about him either. Maybe he just didn’t want to worry… maybe he was afraid of what might be wrong. That’s all it was. Roxas was always afraid. Why couldn’t he for just this one time, step up and be a man?  
Because I can’t reach it… He thought. He always knew he was a girl inside, no matter where he was or how he tried to keep a masculine appearance. He would always be a she. Roxas, plopped on the bed and hugged one of his pillows tightly to his chest. He didn’t care that he was crumpling up the clothes that were still in some of the bags he had yet to open, nor did he care about the voices that were down stairs talking in happy tones. He could feel the hardness in his chest building up as more and more. All the feelings increased and started to over flow, Roxas didn’t think he could hold it anymore. It hurt so much. He would have to talk to him. Face to face and demand that Axel listened to him. Ask him what the matter was. However a little voice told him it was a bad idea, he should forget it, not even approach him.   
“Roxas!” A call from down stairs.   
“Coming mom!” Roxas called back. With a sigh he put up the clothes, not even bothering to look inside the other boxes and slumped his way down the hall and down the stairs for dinner.   
The spices from the kitchen engulfed his nose making his nostrils twitch a bit like a bunny.   
Oh glorious food. The thing everyone consumes to make us forget everything else in the world. But really… Roxas did want to forget for awhile. Maybe he could sneak a few brownies later too, just to keep his mind off of everything for a bit longer. He couldn’t wait to get to the sweet chocolaty goodness. All he wanted now was to stuff his face with that addicting flavor.   
Once down stair, Roxas made his way to the table and waited for both his parents to seat themselves. They sat on opposite ends on either side of Roxas. When they began to eat though, it was quiet. No one made a sound except for the slight munching of food or the clinging of silverware hitting the plates. Roxas couldn’t tell if it was because of him or the fact that his parents didn’t have to pretend anymore in front of him. Whatever it was he hated it. Might as well start a conversation.   
“Sooo….” Roxas hesitated to ask a question that had concerned him for a while. “Why am I here? I mean I know why, but uh..” Tint of red flamed up his cheeks. He knew his parents wanted to have a kid, but because of the circumstances, Roxas couldn’t possibly imagine his parents doing the “you-know-what.”   
Cloud composed himself and cleared his throat. “I was donating sperm. And since Aerith and I wanted a child, but also wanted to not have a riot between families we thought it was the best solution. Plus Aerith wanted to have her own baby.”   
Roxas made an ‘o’ and looked back down at his plate.   
“Are you alright honey?” Aerith’s eyes turned a bit glassy. Her light brown hair was slightly tangled from the work she had been doing around the house. She also looked a bit worn out as if something was bothering her, Roxas couldn’t figure out why he was only noticing this now.   
“I’m fine.” He answered before shoving a fork full of meatloaf into his mouth. Of course it was a lie and Roxas wasn’t going to convince himself it wasn’t, but the whole thing was Roxas just wasn’t so good to showing his feelings all that much. Plus, he figured he was used to hiding them by now.   
This time Cloud took on the act of being concerned. “Roxas if there’s anything that you want to talk about where both here to listen to any of your problems.”   
Though Roxas would have like to talk a bit more, there really wasn’t anything to say. Plus he felt it better not to let his parents worry about his problems, they seemed to be suffering already right? Them being away from the people they loved…  
The thought of Axel swept into Roxas’s mind and he felt as though his eyes would explode. He stood up.   
“I’m fine. Really. Just a bit tired. I think I’ll turn in a bit early so please excuse me.” Roxas picked up his half eaten meal and dumped the rest in the trash before heading to the stairs and saying a small goodnight.   
The shoes on his feet felt tight around his ankles, so Roxas didn’t hesitate to kick them off to the other side of the room. The pink covered bed seemed so welcoming to him. He let the bed call to him and eventually consume him. The warm of the bed sheets felt so smooth and nice around him and couldn’t contain a small moan of delight from it. He heaved a heavy sigh and turned out the light and curled himself up to a ball shape with his arms wrapped around one of his stuffed unicorns he had laying around. Usually he would have picked the rainbow one with polka dots on it, but it was dark and he didn’t really care to check which one he had at the moment. All he cared about was that maybe soon Axel would be ok and not sad and perhaps he also wished the same for himself.


	17. The Visiters

The Visitors  
The bell rang and Roxas looked down at his papers. Piles and piles of it. It was a combination of Santa’s naughty list and horrible glee. The oh so horrible homework and homecoming preparations. A few papers on the top were a project that he and Demyx were going to work on. Something to do with Sexual intercourse and the teen angst cycles of puberty. The rest of it was paper work, or a giant list of things that Roxas had to find and organize for homecoming. The original organizer, Kairi, got some kind of food poisoning and couldn’t do the task, so she asked Roxas to do it in her place since no else was as a gullible to believe her. Roxas later found out she was really at home doing whatever she does and just didn’t want to do the work. But he still had the stuff and couldn’t take it back now.  
Roxas got up from his desk and headed out the door with Demyx trailing behind him with a goofy face. He was wearing a KeyBlade Master band shirt which Roxas glared at with daggers.  
“Why are you wearing that?” He asked which Demyx stared back at him quizzically.  
“Because it’s… my favorite band? You ok?”  
Roxas growled and shook his head, his hands restlessly going through his blond locks in a vicious manner. “I’m. Just. So. Stressed! Everything is out of whack. Axel is ignoring me, Larxene knows I’m trans and has threatened me! I’ve got all this homework and home coming stuff to do. And honestly YOU have been acting really weird and it’s fucking pissing me off!”  
“I’m being weird?” Demyx blinked. He looked slightly offended, but Roxas didn’t pay it any mind since his mental state had already collapsed.  
“YES! You’ve been acting awkward around me and been mumbling stuff to yourself all the time and saying things I don’t get what’s the deal?”  
Demyx was the next one to feel a bit angry and he snapped back. “Well, maybe that’s my business Roxas. Maybe I think and say things to myself all the time and your just now noticing it because you’re trying to find every little things that bugs you!”  
“Yeah well at least I have reasons! Good ones! Aren’t you at least concerned about any of it?”  
“Yes! I have been concerned, but maybe I’ve been trying to find out what’s going on while you’re going on and on and on about your own shit! All I’ve done right now is for your sake you know!”  
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?!”  
“You know what. Fuck this and your shit right now. Just…fuck it.” Demyx turned the other way and down the hall. He and Roxas didn’t get into too many fights, but they were never anything compared to this. They were usually pretty cool about keeping calm in arguments, but this was just ridiculous. It seemed like everyone just hated him right now. Axel, Demyx, Larxene… though Larxene wasn’t really a surprise at all. She hated him the moment Axel even spoke to him. But now Axel wasn’t even talking to him and Larxene hadn’t done anything in awhile.  
God. The day was messed up. Everything was messed up. Roxas was messed up. Though he knew it was partially his fault and he should probably apologies to Demyx later. With a sigh and lifting his backpack over his shoulder again he went down the hall to his locker. Strange enough Zexion was standing there too. He was fidgeting nervously, but Roxas could tell he was trying not to show it by making a glaring face at the floor. It was kind of funny and kind of cute. He walked up carefully to the other boy.  
“Hey, Zexion.” Roxas said giving the boy a small wave. Zexion Looked up surprised and then pressed his head back down awkwardly.  
“Hey.” He said. His face looked shockingly disappointed.  
“How are you doing?” Roxas leaned against the locker and began talking like Zexion was an old friend, which was a bit of a surprise, but Roxas was getting a lot of surprises today. He did know Zexion through school since junior high, but neither of them talked all that much.  
“Ok… I guess. This day is shit.” He muttered and sulked with his arm against the locker, tired of standing in once place. “What about you and your… well…” Zexion looked concerned, but bored and Roxas wanted to know why Zexion was suddenly being so nice to him.  
“It’s… not well. I had a fight with Demyx and Axel still hasn’t talked with me. It’s confusing and I’m starting to wonder about stuff in general. Axel, I don’t know if he likes me or hates me. He asked me to go to homecoming and that he was going to be coming out soon, but I don’t know because right now it seems like he’s avoiding me. But why me? What did I do? And then there’s this whole moving thing…” Crap. Roxas had completely forgotten about it. He didn’t even tell Demyx or Axel about it. “Crap what am I gonna do?!”  
Zexion stood quietly for a minute before speaking up. “Why don’t you ask him?” As simple as it sounded, Roxas was too afraid to even find out. He knew it was selfish of him to hold back, with the possibility of Axel being in trouble, but Zexion was probably right. He needed to sort it out, not just keep on crying about it and wishing it would solve all on its own.  
“Ok.” Roxas heaved out. Zexion nodded and waited till Roxas was back to his normal breathing. “Sorry I’m just out of shape. It’s funny how I’m even talking to you about this when I barely even know you.” Roxas turned and started to put in his locker combination.  
“W-wait… that’s… your l-locker?” Zexion shuddered. He seemed surprised and jumped when Roxas opened the door to it and peeked over the side of it.  
“Yeah?” Roxas quizzically blinked and cocked his head at Zexion’s now paled face. “You alright?”  
“Oh… yeah.” Zexion looked around the hallway and then turned back to face Roxas who still picked on the side of his locker door curiously. “I… I have to go somewhere. I’ll see you later.” He rushed off without a second glance and disappeared into the crowded hallway.  
With a laugh Roxas rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. “That weirdo.”

 

Roxas got home around six-ish since he had stayed behind to help with his long list of homecoming planning. Though he admired the fact that he was trusted enough to be appointed all the work, he didn’t like the reason as to why he had to do it all and the fact he had so much to deal with already.  
He walked up the steps to his porch and cracked his neck a bit before taking out his key before pushing it into the lock and swinging his door open. He stepped in, but it was dark and all the lights were off which made him wonder if anyone was even home. He tiredly had his hand search for the light switch on the wall and turned it on. He was surprised to see someone standing in front of him with a big grin which made him jump out of his skin and almost fall over when the person yelled “Roxas!”  
The person caught him by the arm before he hit the floor and embraced him into a tight long hug that seemed to suffocate him.  
“Sora!” Roxas chocked under the other boy’s arms. “Oh my God let go! Your teddy bear arms are killing me!” Sora laughed and let go with a big giant grin on his face. Out of all of the cousins Roxas had, Sora was his favorite right next to Ven. “What are you doing here? I thought it was still a few days till you were coming over.”  
Sora gave Roxas a sheepish smile and a nervous laugh as he nodded his head towards the living room coach that had a very built up looking boy with silver hair sitting on it, his expression not looking amused in the slightest.  
“Sora I thought you said they changed the dates! You liar!” The silver headed boy, who Roxas knew as Riku, Sora’s boy friend, fussed.  
“B-but I missed everyone especially Roxy here.” Sora pouted, crossing his arms like a toddler who wanted ice cream, but his mom said no.  
It had been forever since Roxas last saw the two and he was glad they came, he just wished it wasn’t now of all times where they could see him slowly withering away from all the havoc he’d been going through. “It’s great to see you Sora.” Roxas put on a plastic smile, but Sora saw right through it and whined which only made Roxas feel disappointed in himself.  
“You lie, you lie!” Sora sulked. He zoomed over to Riku and pointed over to Roxas. “Go beat him up!” Roxas did have to laugh at Sora’s sense of humor, though truthfully he wasn’t sure if he was trying to be funny or was being serious; it was hard to tell with Sora. After all, the small Brunette was a silly little pancake platter of sugar and butter, it all tasted good, but if you ate to much it showed it’s true nature in making you all fat.  
“Sorrraaaaaaaaa.” Roxas pretended to cry and sulk, deciding to play along. “You meanie!”  
“You’re the meaning Roxy!” Sora growled playfully.  
“No you are!” It was usually like this when the two were around each other. They goofed off and played around to no end till it was time for one or the other to leave. You would have thought they were brothers if not for the different hair colors. Ven also looked a lot like them, mostly Roxas, but he was a bit older and more mature. It had been awhile since Sora and Roxas had seen Ven, with all his college and whatnot, and they would both agree they missed their cousins company.  
After the two had their little playful argument Sora decided to ramble.“So what’s up Roxas? Any crazy stuff going on around here? How’s Demyx? Did he ever get to meet the KeyBlade Masters? He told me how much he loved them the last time I saw him. I heard they came here? Did Cloud tell you he was gay yet? HUH HUH HUH???”  
“Sora!” Riku hissed. “Shut it, you aren’t supposed to talk about those things yet. He’s not supposed to know that we kno—”  
“You all knew all about that stuff?” Roxas questioned. He didn’t know if he sounded surprised or angry. Maybe both, since they had already knew about his dad’s secret. Or at least that was the gist he was getting. “Guy’s what’s going on?”  
Sora giggled and he said. “Surprises…” Riku just rolled his eyes then wore a smirk before leaning over Sora’s shoulder.  
“Sora,” Riku said. “The faster we get unpacked the fast we can do the…you know what.”  
Sora began to blush and squealed. He nodded then rushed over to the luggage that was next to the stairs. “I’m heading to the guest room. Riku you better be up here in ten!” He chuckled before heading up the stairs dragging the large bulky bags with him.  
Roxas turned towards Riku who was staring hungrily in the direction that Sora had gone up and Roxas only got the other boy’s attention after clearing his throat. “So, what was that all about?”  
“Oh just Sora mostly rambling a bunch of stuff. If you’re worried that we knew everything before your wrong. It was just recently, probably not that much time before Cloud told you. He said he was going to.”  
“Yeah, but why does this have anything to do with why I’m not supposed to know…that you know?”  
Riku huffed and shook his head. His hair swung a bit over his eyes and he put back on his sly and playful tone. “Little Sora said. Surprises.” Riku turned and headed up the stairs, quickening his pace with each step.  
Roxas hated surprises. First Cloud wasn’t going to tell him his partner’s name because it was a surprise. Sora decided to pop out of know where as a surprise. And not Riku was all up and on him about surprises. He just hoped that they were good ones.


	18. Hypocrite

Chapter Eighteen   
Hypocrite 

Today was the day Roxas was going to talk to talk to Axel... maybe. If everything went well than good for him, but if it went downhill then it will lead to tears and complete anguish. Roxas took a deep breath and opened the big wooden doors of his school. All the Students were going around chattering and exchanging homework to copy. Everyone was fine and dandy; no one knew what was going down in Roxas’s head.  
“I can’t do it. I’m going to get sick and runaway right now. This is to much for me.” Roxas was about to head out the door when…  
“Hey Roxas…” The sound of Zexion’s Voice made Roxas jump. Zexion rubbed his arms from the chill that was outside. “You look a bit under weather today. Are you feeling alright?”  
Roxas heaved a Sigh and let his hind Slide down his face. “No… I’m not ok. In fact I feel as though someone bulldozed me on the concrete.”   
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that… well, I’m about to go the school library, I have to check out a list of books for a project in literature. You want to help? It might get your mind off of some things.”   
Roxas didn’t hesitate to follow. It was an excuse to not go through his plan of confronting Axel. And from what had happened the other day, Demyx was out of the question too. They both needed their space from each other for awhile. It was too heated and Roxas was afraid that he would probably say something that would cause another argument. “Uh, thanks… your trying to help me even though we don’t really know each other.”  
Zexion smiled and then nodded in agreement. “I know I don’t really talk much, but I can figure where you’re coming from. And… I figured it would be nice to make friends since I don’t have many…”  
“Yeah, your kind of a loaner aren’t you?” Roxas hesitated before he gasped in realization. “Oh I didn’t mean that, I’m so sorry.”  
The slate haired boy only laughed and gestured Roxas to keep following. “It’s the truth though, and sometimes the truth is something we have to face in order to grow up and keep going. We learn to deal with all the problems we have, and not facing them only causes more, despite our fear of it getting worse, it only gets worse if we do nothing about it.”   
“Wow, that’s deep. Are you trying to suggest something to me?” Roxas watched Zexion tap his chin thoughtfully, but almost teasingly.   
“I have no idea what on earth you are talking about.”  
Roxas chuckled and followed Zexion the rest of the way. The library was a bit big, plenty of books, but not as many students as one would think. “Pretty crowded huh?”  
Zexion looked around, shrugged, and grabbed a list from his pocket. It wasn’t a very long list, but Roxas did notice that it was enough to make one groan in pain from all the reading one would have to partake in. “I actually prefer the library like this; anymore people and it wouldn’t have the nice silence anymore.   
Strange, Roxas thought. He really was interesting to watch and he did have good advice to give out when he needed it the most. “So what books do you need?” Roxas leaned over Zexion’s shoulder and tilted his head. “Hmm, I don’t think I’ve heard of these.”  
Zexion blushed. “Well, I read a lot of things that people usually don’t choose. So it doesn’t surprise me.”  
“You and Demyx would get along then, you’re similar in that aspect?”  
“R-really?”   
“Yeah, he knows a whole lot on music, even knows lyrics by heart by bands and groups I’ve never heard of.” Roxas tapped his chin and sighed. “I really need to make things up with him. He’s probably still mad.”   
Zexion nodded and looked through some shelves. “You two are best friends, you’ll figure it out. Demyx is a sweet guy he’ll understand whatever it is.”  
“You sound pretty sure about it. Are you friends with him?”   
“Uh, no not really. Sometime last year I was just getting picked on and… stuff. Demyx just happened to be there and helped me out of it.”   
The shorter boy twiddled his thumbs, but suddenly coughed when Roxas revealed a heartwarming smirk.   
“Eh…what is it?”   
“You look up to him?”   
Zexion thought for a moment and nodded enthusiastically. “Y-yes!” He turned afterward and continued his search for is books. Roxas used to think he was one of those closed up and quiet people, but now that they talked a little he found him kind of cute. Zexion continued to search for his books, but reached a shelf that was a bit too high for him. He struggled to get his hands on the green binding that was sticking out away from his reach. Roxas tried to help him, but Zexion immediately swatted his hand away and continued to reach for the book. He finally jumped and knocked the book off the shelf. “I can do thinks myself, but thanks anyway.”   
Roxas cocked his head and then walked Zexion to the checkout desk. Zexion really was interesting. “So… what do you do most of your time?”   
“I read.” Such a typical Zexion answer.   
Roxas hmm’d and looked at the hallway clock. “Ah. The bells about to ring. I catch you later.” He waved at Zexion who made a small wave back and then he ran off down the hallway. 

 

Class dragged on for what seemed like a life time to Roxas. He sat his desk and tapped his pencil impatiently on the top of his spiral notebook. It was history. And sadly, neither Demyx nor Axel where in it. There wasn’t really anyone Roxas ever talked to, so some times it felt a bit lonely and boring. Other than that, the class itself wasn’t really that bad. He had a good teacher who made the topic sound interesting. Roxas wrote down some notes and looked at the board. He began to write down more notes and then he heard whispers in the back.   
Did you hear?   
What?   
I heard he isn’t normal.  
Who wasn’t normal? Roxas thought to himself.   
I heard some weird things about him. He’s supposedly a faggot.   
What? Really? How do you know?   
I heard he wears dresse—  
Roxas stood up quickly, knocking over his chair. They couldn’t have been talking about him could they?   
“Roxas?” The teacher asked concerned.   
Woops. I guess he heard.   
“I’m not feeling well. I’m going to the office.” Roxas didn’t even wait for an answer, he grabbed all his stuff and headed out the door. Some of the students began to whisper and that only make Roxas walk out the door faster. He ran down the hallway and went into the bathroom and found himself a stall. He didn’t know whether to cry, scream, or what. Was this what having a pain attack was like? He couldn’t breathe. All of this was wrong. Did Larxene finally tell? Why now though? Nothing added up. Roxas collapsed over the toilet and felt everything he had this morning coming up his throat and out. “This can’t be happening.” He repeated between breaths. The bell rang and Roxas could hear students rush out of the classrooms and into the hallway. He couldn’t go out there. Not now. Everyone knew, he couldn’t face them at all. He would have to wait it out or go to the office once it died down…but what if he ran into someone he knew? He wouldn’t know what to do. He thought to himself that he should just go now and run for it.  
The bathroom stall Roxas was in opened and Roxas jumped. He had forgotten to lock it and the person in front of him frowned pulled him out. “Roxas, what are you doing? Are you crying?” Demyx held on the tops of Roxas’s shoulders. Roxas felt his cheeks and realized that there were indeed tears rolling down them. He felt his lips quiver and he couldn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. He just wanted to go home. “Come with me.”   
Demyx pulled his friend out the bathroom and down the hall. Roxas could feel the stares of people around them. He could hear their whispers. They knew, all of them knew. They would all hate him now since they did. “I’m want… to go home.” Demyx nodded and took a sharp turn down to the next hallway. Roxas clung to Demyx’s arm tightly. He buried his face into his own fist to keep people from seeing the tears.   
“Check it out it’s the fag!”   
Roxas looked around and saw a group of people pointing fingers and laughing. Some went as far as to throw paper balls and pencils at him. Demyx pulled Roxas further and stopped when he saw Larxene and her lackeys following behind her. Her head was held high and she swung her purse around almost hitting people with it.   
“Well look who it is… David Blowie and Roxanne. I thought you might have figured itout by now, but I couldn’t help myself. I thought I’d be nice enough to let you have a few weeks to yourself in this high school, but I became pretty bored and I was a bit angry that you took something from me. I. couldn’t help, but blab a bit. So sorry it got out of hand.”   
Demyx put his arm around Roxas protectively and glared at the blonde girl in front of them. “You told… so this is what this is about…” He looked down at Roxas was now shaking furiously. The small boy clung to him and Demyx switched his gaze back at the monster that hurt Roxas.   
“Please,” Roxas spoke. “Just let me through so I can be out of your way.”   
A cackle escaped Larxene’s lips. “Why of course. But first I’d like to make some ground rules. One. Quit the homecoming committee. I wouldn’t want any of your homo germs rubbing on anything. And two. I want you to stay away from Axel. He’s mine and I don’t need any selfish little boys trying to put their grubby hands on him. So I’d keep your distance if I were you.”   
“You bitch. Just leave him alone he hasn’t done anything to you. You’re out of your mind!” Demyx held on to Roxas’s shoulder. The tiny blond felt the grip tight when Larxene pressed a finger to her lip mockingly.   
“You really shouldn’t say things like that. Someone could get hurt. Physically.”  
“Is that a threat?”  
“You want it to be?”   
Roxas tugged on Demyx’s sleeve. “Let’s just go…” Roxas lowered his head when he saw Larxene narrow her taunting eyes.   
“What, you don’t want to hear what I really wanted to say?” Larxene’s voice trailed through the hall like poison, leaving behind a mass of sizzling pain. Roxas clutched the bottom hem of his shirt. He just wanted to leave. He wanted out. He wanted to curl up into a ball in the deepest part of his closet.   
“Just leave him out of it Larxene!” Demyx began to pull Roxas down the hall, but Larxene put her foot in the way, blocking the two.   
“I’m not finished here. There’s something important I want Roxas to know.” The monstrous girl leaned a hip with her arms crossed. The devious look never left her eyes and Demyx knew that whatever she was about to do or even bring up would probably just make Roxas break down into a further heap, if she hadn’t done enough damage already. It was only a matter of time before Roxas just gave up on everything he lived for, cared about, and his true self. All because of these people’s closed mindedness and selfishness of making a “perfect” society, or so they called it. It was nothing, but a dictatorship, Larxene being the dictator. Roxas was nothing, but the innocent passerby that she was about to crush under her power or popularity. It was the only reason why anyone would want to listen to her. She controlled the halls, the student body, the class events, and the whole school, not including the teachers and school board, but Demyx wouldn’t be surprised if she did manage to get them to listen to her at times. “Axel, choose me.”   
Roxas shook his head and refrained from gazing in her direction. “You’re a liar.” He sniffed.   
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Larxene looked down the hall into the crowd of students. “Axel.”   
A blur of red came from the crowd and Roxas choked as he saw Axel approach towards Larxene. He stood by her and didn’t complain when she put her arm around his and leaned against him. In fact the expression he made was unreadable. Roxas felt him say to himself. “This isn’t true.” But it was, and that was the reality of it. He couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t look at him.   
“YOU HYPACRATE!” He yelled. Before pushing Demyx aside and dashing out the school doors.


End file.
